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Novak Djokovic is increasingly becoming a tennis revolutionary. With the establishment of his PTPA players union, the world number 1 tried to shift the balance of power in world tennis in August. His main concern is the distribution of funds among the players. Even the lowest ranked professionals should be able to make a living from sports. In the final it is now clear: Djokovic wants more. The Serbian also wants to change sports.
Djokovic wants to hit the five sets at the Grand Slam tournaments. “I am a supporter of the best of three – everywhere,” he says after his first win in the ATP finals in London. He knows that the majors have always played more than five winning sets. “So I don’t know if there is a way to make changes.”
A burden too great, too difficult to market
The reasons for a change are obvious for the 35-year-old. On the one hand, he would like to reduce the burden on tennis professionals. «We have the longest season of all sports. Every week from January 1st to the end of November there is a tournament somewhere, ”says Djokovic.
On the other hand, he is also interested in the marketability of his sport. “The attention span of fans, especially those of the new generation, is shorter. To improve the tennis product commercially and in terms of marketing, I think we have to adapt to the younger generation. “
“I see no reason for the best of five”
It is clear to the industry leader that something has to happen. “In my opinion we have to change something. I don’t see any reason why we should play the best of five. ”The only thing that talks about it is the story, the lore. But he’s ready to bury it.
To underline his concern, Djokovic relies on a study from the Sports Business Journal. “Unfortunately we had a bit of a shocking statistic. The results showed that the average age of tennis fans around the world is 61. “
Misleading study
According to “tennisnet.com,” the study refers to the behavior of US citizens towards broadcasting and cable television. There are no world references. And the digital consumption behavior of the younger generation is missing.
Djokovic appeals to the world of tennis and traditionalists: “We have never tried new options such as changes in the number of points or the number of sets. We have never entered this terrain. Whenever it is mentioned, there is no support. ”But now it is urgent to talk about how to attract a younger audience to the sport.
Federer and Nadal on the counterattack
Traditionalists, including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, are proponents of the five-movement mode, because it creates those epic matches that everyone will talk about for years. “I am totally against it,” Nadal said in London of a proposal to play only three moves in the future.
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