We should stick together and not pursue our own interests: Rafael Nadal on PTPA

The issue of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) continues to linger in the tennis community. While Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil seem determined to go ahead with their new association, Rafael Nadal refuses to budge from his initial view opposing their move.

The Spaniard continues to believe that this is not the time to divide the sport, especially when the world is grappling with a deadly pandemic.

In a recent interview ahead of the Rome Masters, Nadal reiterated his position regarding the PTPA. The 19-time Grand Slam champion said that there ought to be a sense of unity on the tour instead of players trying to pursue their own interests, seemingly taking a shot against Djokovic and Co.

“There are a number of things that are not right. We are going through a world crisis in every aspect,” Nadal said. “It’s a difficult time for all of us, for players, for the organisers, for the whole tour. We should stick together, and not pursue each of us our own interests.”

Many things are not clear about the PTPA: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal practising ahead of the Rome Masters

When Djokovic and Pospisil announced the formation of the PTPA a few weeks ago, they were met with strong opposition from Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The legendary duo not only stated that the timing was wrong, but also felt that it would be impossible for the ATP to co-exist with the PTPA.

The Swiss and the Spaniard are arguably the most powerful figures in the sport, and their lack of support for the new association came as a notable setback for Djokovic.

Nadal had previously tweeted out his opposition against the PTPA, saying that the timing was not right for such a division in the sport.

However, both Pospisil and Djokovic have maintained hopes that the Spaniard could switch his allegiance in the future given his past concern for lower-ranked players.

That seems very unlikely now, as Rafael Nadal has quashed any such expectations with his most recent criticism. The World No. 2 still believes that there are several ‘unanswered questions’ about the PTPA and that the situation requires a lot more clarity irrespective of the global situation.

“I understand the dissatisfaction of some athletes who signed the proposal, but there are many unanswered questions,” Nadal said. “I think it’s not the right moment. And even if we weren’t in the current situation, many things are not clear."