When Novak Djokovic captured two of the four Grand Slam titles in 2016, his manager Edoardo Artaldi revealed in a rare interview how deeply misunderstood the Serbian star had long been. Even Roger Federer once labeled him the ‘party crasher’ as Djokovic disrupted the era dominated by Federer and Rafael Nadal. Now, with the French Open underway, Djokovic says that same sense of being misread has resurfaced, particularly surrounding the formation of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).
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In a recent talk show with Quotidien during the French Open, Novak Djokovic opened up about how often he has felt misunderstood away from the court. “Perhaps the biggest misunderstanding about me is that people thought many of the things I did publicly had some personal interest. And that is not true,” he added (Translated from French).
At the same time, Djokovic also reflected on the criticism and resistance he received after helping launch the PTPA. “Yes, of course, I have suffered. For example, when I created the PTPA in 2020 with the intention of helping players who don’t have the opportunities that we do… that was completely misinterpreted.”
The PTPA was founded by Djokovic alongside Canadian player Vasek Pospisil as a breakaway players’ union. The organization was created with the goal of giving professional players a stronger voice in tennis governance and improving conditions across the sport.
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In March last year, the PTPA launched legal action against tennis governing bodies, including the ATP Tour and WTA Tour. The union accused them of “anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare.”
Both the tennis governing bodies strongly rejected the accusations made against them. The ATP and WTA also stated publicly that they would defend their position against the claims raised by the PTPA.
The Serb had earlier spoken honestly about the challenges surrounding the project. “From day one, the mission was clear: to give players a stronger voice and to contribute to expanding the number of players who are able to live from this sport across all levels. I don’t see the vision as clearly as I did in 2020.” Novak added.
Over the years, Djokovic invested significant time and energy into the initiative. However, the 39-year-old struggled to convince many of the sport’s biggest stars to support or join the movement fully.
He also expressed frustration over the lack of involvement from players during key moments. “When players need to be active, during negotiations and decision-making moments, they don’t participate enough,” he commented during the US Open last year.
By January this year, Djokovic decided to distance himself from the PTPA.
“I felt my name was being overused. Whenever people think about the PTPA, they think it’s my organization, and that was wrong from the very beginning,” explained the Serbian icon.
“I didn’t like the direction the leadership was taking with the PTPA, and that’s why I decided to step out,” he confessed.
And to be honest, throughout his career, Djokovic has repeatedly spoken about feeling misunderstood, and even several former players have acknowledged that the Serbian GOAT has often been unfairly judged within the tennis world.
Àlex Corretja voices frustration over Novak Djokovic being misunderstood repeatedly
In the same interview with Quotidien, Novak Djokovic spoke emotionally about how being misunderstood has affected him over the years. “I am a man like everyone else. I have emotions. And although I am very privileged by the life and career I have, you also suffer when the interpretation of what you do is altered,” he admitted.
Considering everything the Serbian has contributed to tennis, that emotion feels difficult to ignore. Even in defeat, opponents have often approached him with admiration, reminding him of the impact he has had on an entire generation of players.
One such moment came at the Miami Open last year when Jakub Menšík defeated Djokovic in the final in straight sets. Despite the huge victory, the young Czech immediately paid tribute to his childhood idol.
“When I was young, I started to play tennis because of you,” Menšík told Djokovic during the on-court ceremony.
Still, there have been many moments when Djokovic felt unfairly judged, and even former professionals have publicly shared their frustration over it. Among them was former Roland Garros finalist Àlex Corretja, who openly defended the Serbian back in 2021.
“I think in a way, Novak is a little bit misunderstood all the time. I don’t know if it is because of his character. Probably when he’s on the court, he’s doing things that people pretty much don’t understand. Roger is elegant. He is like, sweet. Everything comes naturally. And Rafa is like, the biggest fighter of the whole history, probably. Novak is different.”
Corretja also pointed to Djokovic’s emotional honesty on court as something many fans struggle to accept. “He can get upset. And he’s not thinking like, ‘oh I can’t break the racket because I’m in the middle of 25,000 people and millions watching on TV. He just lets his emotions out. He deserves all the credit because, for me, he’s just giving us so much, on the court and off the court, that I can only say thank you to him like Roger and Rafa what they bring to our sport.”
Now, as Nole advances into the second round of Roland Garros, the tennis world will once again watch closely as the Serbian legend chases a historic 25th Grand Slam title on the Paris clay.
