Djokovic helps orchestrate the firing of Roger Rasheed from the ATP Council due to his vote on 1 year prize money increases

[Aussie Darcy]

Well this is crazy.

Tennis’s year of off court political turmoil continues, with the body that represents male players sacking one of its three representatives from the main ATP Board.

The highly unusual measure was taken in Paris last week when the ATP’s Player Council, led by its President Novak Djokovic, voted to oust well-known Australian coach Roger Rasheed as one of the tour governing body’s six directors.

After what was said to be a highly-charged series of meetings, Rasheed – widely regarded in the game as a voice of moderation - was removed after voting in favour of a one-year set of prize money increases that have proved highly contentious.

It is just the latest in a series of political upheavals that have affected international tennis this year. These have included the jostling among new team events and the International Tennis Federation’s decision to partner with the company of Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique’s marketing group in the revamp of the historic Davis Cup.

It also illustrates a wider divide in the men’s game, between a more militant faction of players pressing for a greater share of tournament revenues and those seeking a more consensual approach with a long-term view to the sport’s overall wellbeing.

The year began in Melbourne with Djokovic ordering ATP officials out of a mass player meeting so it could be addressed by a legal expert on strikes in Australia, and continues apace.
Rasheed confirmed to Sportsmail that he had been dismissed from the Board, but refused to go into any further details.

The ATP is an often uneasy partnership between tournaments (excluding the Grand Slams) and players, which operates with a Board composed of six directors. Three of them are appointed by tournaments and three by the ten-man Players’ Council, one of whose members is Jamie Murray.

While a long-term prize money settlement is being sought, there have been several attempts in recent months to set the levels for 2019 only.

According to sources close to negotiations the proposal being voted on in Paris was for an increase of between 4% and 6% in purses for next season, depending on the size of the tournament. The smaller ‘250’ level would give 4% and the larger Masters series events would go up by 6%.

Had a deal not been done at this late hour there was a danger that players would not have seen any increases at all.

Rasheed – an independent-minded former player who has gone on to be a leading coach of players such as Lleyton Hewitt and Grigor Dimitrov – is said to have assessed the risk and sided with the tournaments on this occasion, helping vote through the settlement just for next season.

This infuriated the faction of Player Council members, including Djokovic, who have been pushing for players to receive a greater proportion of tournament revenues in recent years.

The Australian was then summoned to a meeting where the necessary majority of 7-3 was secured to tell him that his services were no longer required as one of the directors representing them.


The messy departure of a well-respected figure is likely to cause unease through the game’s corridors of power, including at Wimbledon. Along with the other Majors they have responded to player concerns by giving sharp increases over the last five years. First round singles losers at SW19 this year, for instance, made £39,000.

One issue among tournament directors across the board is that the ‘talent’ – i.e the players – have influence but are often unable to grasp the complex business models of events that keep the tour as a whole afloat. This at a time when the careers of superstars who have been such a boon, like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and the Williams sisters, are simultaneously entering their twilight.

With the Nitto ATP Finals happening at London’s 02 Arena next week there are expected to be further meetings to try and broker a resolution to some of the problems that have cropped up this year.

Among them is that tennis has gone from a sport with too few team events to one which is now struggling to accommodate the proposed new ones.

In 2020 men’s tennis is due to have the Davis Cup, an ATP World Team Cup in Australia and Federer’s Laver Cup, while much-needed reforms to the women’s Fed Cup have been delayed.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/t...oach-Roger-Rasheed-sacked-ATP-main-board.html

 

[tennis_pro]

So crazy that I didn't even know that Roger Rasheed was in the ATP Council.

 

[Ann]

It sounds like Djokovic did the right thing for his fellow players.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

Wally Masur in

 

[Otacon]

Roger Rasheed betrayed the players.

 

[jm1980]

Well this is crazy.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/t...oach-Roger-Rasheed-sacked-ATP-main-board.html

The author of the article made no attempt to hide his bias against Djokovic, smh

 

[Aussie Darcy]

The author of the article made no attempt to hide his bias against Djokovic, smh

You're not wrong. It is the DailyMail after all though

 

[True Fanerer]

Also a jab at the player's intelligence and business savvy.

 

[Red Rick]

When the raise is too small

 

[tennisaddict]

Djokovic is right . I read Fed stating players get less than like 8% of the tournament revenue and this needs change . Djoker must have listened to Fed

 

[Bartelby]

It's funny how 'voted out' becomes 'fired' when organisations don't like the vote.

 

[Bartelby]

Rasheed confirmed to Sportsmail that he had been dismissed from the Board, but refused to go into any further details.

This Daily Mail article is a re-write of a Fox News' Sportsmail one replete with all the usual right-wing hatreds beloved of the Murdoch empire.

The author of the article made no attempt to hide his bias against Djokovic, smh

You're not wrong. It is the DailyMail after all though

Also a jab at the player's intelligence and business savvy.

 

[Legend of Borg]

thank you, comrade djoker

 

[metsman]

Unless the majority of the increases go to lower ranked players, this isn't helping anything. Get ready for yet another wave of mediocre athletes as the best young players while the best athletes play sports that don't require you to be one of the 50 best in the world to avoid the bread lines.

 

[Federev]

Djokovic is right . I read Fed stating players get less than like 8% of the tournament revenue and this needs change . Djoker must have listened to Fed

Another reason Roger is so wonderful.

(I'm glad it only took about 15 posts to get here.)

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

So crazy that I didn't even know that Roger Rasheed was in the ATP Council.

It is very easy to find out. All board members are at all times listed on the ATP site, w photos and all.

 

[Bartelby]

Roger Ratsheed is going to be very popular with the bosses.

 

[Bartelby]

The deal is a 4% rise for the smaller tournaments and 6% for the big ones, so Rasheed did not exacly vote with the lower-ranked players.

It's unclear from this report exactly what the Djokovic faction were negotiating for apart from something long-term.

Unless the majority of the increases go to lower ranked players, this isn't helping anything. Get ready for yet another wave of mediocre athletes as the best young players while the best athletes play sports that don't require you to be one of the 50 best in the world to avoid the bread lines.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

Roger Rasheed single handedly ruined the careers of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lleyton Hewitt. No support from my end.

 

[Deleted member 742196]

Unless the majority of the increases go to lower ranked players, this isn't helping anything. Get ready for yet another wave of mediocre athletes as the best young players while the best athletes play sports that don't require you to be one of the 50 best in the world to avoid the bread lines.

Not just lower ranked players but spread across a range of tournaments. Challengers, notably. It is a given that challengers will not draw in crowds, major sponsorships or broadcasting revenues so there needs to be an emphasis on trickle down economics even at the tournament levels.

It has to make financial sense for a top 200-300 player the world to at least be able to make a modestly decent income or else the risk/reward ratio of pursuing a career in tennis is not tenable.

It’s laughable. I can set up an Amazon business within a few months that earns me more than I could spending a lifetime learning tennis and being the top 300th best player on the planet.

 

[-NN-]

Roger Rasheed single handedly ruined the careers of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lleyton Hewitt. No support from my end.

What about Dimitrov? A period where he should have been developing his tactics and mind was dedicated almost entirely to his physical conditioning. Dimitrov remains a muddle of tactics and strategy on the court.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

What about Dimitrov? A period where he should have been developing his tactics and mind was dedicated almost entirely to his physical conditioning. Dimitrov remains a muddle of tactics and strategy on the court.

No, definitely him too. Annacone would've been a better fit for Dimitrov I feel.

 

[MLRoy]

Another reason Roger is so wonderful.

(I'm glad it only took about 15 posts to get here.)

He's so "wonderful", what the (censored) did he do when he was president; other than play "Yes" man to the tennis establishment and look out for himself?! WELL? I MUST REMIND YOU YOU'RE UNDER OATH! Just kidding. He didn't do (censored) for his fellow players when he could have. NOW 8% isn't good enough...

 

[Tennease]

RIP democracy

 

[Enceladus]

Djoker is not only an excellent tennis player and ATG, but also an adroit politician.

 

[Red Rick]

Djoker is not only an excellent tennis player and ATG, but also an adroit politician.

I wouldn't play poker with Djokurrrrr