Ons Jabeur details why she joined Novak Djokovic’s PTPA

Ons Jabeur says the tennis authorities “only listen to the top players” and urged them to change that “wrong” approach. In January, 29-year-old Jabeur signed up to become a player executive committee of Novak Djokovic’s Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).

In 2020, Djokovic launched the PTPA – an association that has the goal of ensuring better rights and conditions for all players, but especially for the lower-ranked ones. Jabeur, who has made three Grand Slam finals over the last 15 months, broke into the top-10 for the first time in 2021 October. “Before, if I talked, nobody would listen because I wasn’t in the top 10 and I wasn’t a top player, but now they listen.

Now they would [care about] my opinion. I feel like it’s wrong to only listen to the top players, but for me, I feel like I need to make a difference right now. I need to speak up for every woman about what’s wrong and what could be better,” Jabeur told ESPN.

Jabeur believes Djokovic’s association has good intentions

In January, the PTPA announced its first Player Executive Committee. The committee includes four male players and four female players, with Djokovic, Jabeur and Paula Badosa being the most notable names.

Reflecting on the latest moves made by the PTPA, Djokovic says the association is “definitely making huge strides.” “The PTPA is definitely making huge strides. And we’re making sure that the players’ voices and needs are heard.

… I mean for me personally, knowing that there’s now a serious team of people in our association working day and night tirelessly to build this association, [to] make sure players have a better livelihood from tennis, is something that relaxes me.

… And I think the future is bright,” Djokovic told ESPN. When it comes to the ATP and WTA, it is not a secret that they are strongly against another association outside the ATP and WTA.