Former World No 1 Andy Murray has joined the ATP Player Council a month after four members of the group had resigned. The 33-year-old Brit has been given responsibility to handle issues that affect players ‘at large,’ and not a specific ranking group.
Murray’s inclusion comes after former Player Council president Novak Djokovic resigned – ahead of the US Open – to form a new player association of his own.
Two days before the year’s second Grand Slam in New York could start, Djokovic formed the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which he will co-head along with Vasek Pospisil, who had also resigned from the existing ATP player body.
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The creation of a new association, seen as a rebel body, did not sit well with veterans Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who were co-signees of a cautionary letter sent to all ATP players regarding the new body.
John Isner and Sam Querrey too had resigned from the player council to join the PTPA.
With the four spots left open in the ATP Player Council, Murray, Felix Auger-Aliassime (1-25 singles), Jeremy Chardy (51-100 singles) and John Millman (1-50 singles) have been elected to the group by the existing players involved – which includes Federer and Nadal.
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In place of Djokovic, former World No 5 Kevin Anderson has been made the new president.
South African former world no.5 @KAndersonATP has been elected president of the @ATPTour Player Council.
Anderson was formerly the ATP Player Council’s Vice President.
Congratulations Kevin! 👏 pic.twitter.com/hLv5xmxBxb
— Tennis South Africa (@TennisSA) October 13, 2020
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The PTPA
Citing discrepancies within the player council and the body’s seemingly being unable to bring change, Djokovic formed the new association which he maintained was not a ‘union.’
“This is not a union. This is a player association. So we are not calling for boycotts,” he had said last month.
“We are not forming parallel tours. I have seen a lot of different speculations in the media, and people coming out with just various things that we will do, which is, in a way, is expected, because it’s a big thing, of course.”
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Murray, at the time had said he was not keen on signing as women were not a part of the group.
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“I feel like that would send a much more powerful message, personally, if the WTA were on board with it as well,” Murray said. “That’s not currently the case. If those things changed in the future, it’s something that I would certainly, certainly consider.”
Djokovic later said that the new group was keen to add women’s players. He also shared that “around 200 WTA players” had joined the PTPA.
However, Murray has now joined the ATP Player Council instead.
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