Novak Djokovic has been at the forefront of driving transformations within the world of tennis. He has also tried to bring awareness among players along with breaking records. Djokovic and PTPA have been voicing out the issues faced by the players on tour, especially the financial instability. He has now spoken about the involvement of betting in the game, which is worth billions of dollars.
Djokovic said that players are not allowed to put any patches of the betting company on their clothes. However, the tournaments get a lot of sponsorships from these betting companies. He said, “It’s completely unacceptable. Personally, I probably would not get a betting sponsor on my sleeve but I know that probably 95 percent of the players would do that.” Djokovic said that players deserve to earn more on tour.
.@DjokerNole explains this well. While a percentage of sports betting and player data profits goes to players’ pension program, most players will wait 1-2 decades to see this money. pic.twitter.com/BGz8i4OgKa
— Professional Tennis Players Association (@ptpaplayers) September 22, 2023
The four-time US Open champion mentioned that the fund raised from betting goes into the player pension program. However, the pension program only gets activated when the player is 50 and must wait two decades after retirement. Typically, players retire at age 35, when they need the most financial help.
Novak Djokovic weighs in on betting and match-fixing
Match fixing has been the spoiling of the name and fame of sports. It not only brings the downfall of an athlete but also spoils the image of the game. Tennis has had players involved in match-fixing and have been dealt with accordingly. The tournaments’ involvement with betting sponsors gives substantial financial resources, but the players are not part of the share.
Djokovic understood the dilemma and said that the players should receive at least half of the funding which tournaments earn from betting sponsors. Players have always been kept away from such sponsors as it ruins the integrity of the game. The betting sponsors can then decide the matches, which takes away the spirit of the game. It has happened outside the main tour as players struggle to make a living without betting.
Novak Djokovic says betting houses are making billions on tennis while players are getting crumbles:
“Betting is officialized. It is happening & the betting houses are earning hundreds of millions of dollars, maybe billions from tennis. So, there’s huge value there. Then a lot… pic.twitter.com/8AB8I26XjA
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 21, 2023
Djokovic’s proposition raises concerns about players not getting what they deserve and the match-fixing in sport. The ATP and WTA have already taken steps to improve the conditions of the players on tour. While the players will experience a change next season, the organisations have not discussed the betting concerns.
