Djokovic Demands Fair Share of Betting Revenue: ‘We Players Need to Be Aware’

Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, has slammed the unfair distribution of revenues from the deal between the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the leading betting provider Sportradar.

Djokovic, who is also the leader of the rebel group The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), has argued that Sportradar, bookmakers, and ATP are making huge profits from the contract, while the players get peanuts or nothing at all. Yet, it is the players’ data that fuels the betting industry.

The Grand Slam champion spoke out in a video interview posted by PTPA on social media. He said he would like to see a “50-50” split of the revenue: half for ATP (or the tournaments it runs) and half for the players. He called the current situation unacceptable.

It’s worth noting that he also accused the stakeholders of trying to divert the attention from the main issue by focusing on the players’ responsibility in maintaining the integrity of the sport every time this topic comes up.

“We’ve got to make sure that the players are not cheating and are not betting, they’re not compromising the tournaments, etc. Of course, I support it, but there’s kind of a psychological game right, you focus on that, and you don’t really talk about the main issue here that we players need to be aware of”, Djokovic said.