Novak Djokovic did not hold back when he returned to the Italian Open in Rome. The 24-time Grand Slam winner strongly accused sections of the tennis media of changing his words and making him look “greedy” whenever he speaks about players getting better prize money and treatment. Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, Djokovic said people often ignored the real issue and instead focused only on headlines around money. The Serbian star returned to ATP Masters 1000 action after a break and quickly found himself once again in the middle of tennis’ growing debate around player welfare, prize money, and the power of Grand Slam governing bodies. Big names including Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jannik Sinner have also recently spoken about player concerns.Djokovic explained that his comments were never about asking for more money for himself. Instead, he said he had always tried to speak for lower-ranked players and others who struggle financially on the tour despite tennis being one of the biggest sports in the world.“In the past what I notice is many times people would twist particularly my words and say I’m requesting myself for more money, even when I was winning slams,” Novak Djokovic said during his Italian Open press conference.“You guys like to put headlines of the Grand Slam winner gets so-and-so, never more in history,” he added.
Novak Djokovic backs Aryna Sabalenka as tennis stars push for better player welfare and prize money
Novak Djokovic also spoke openly about the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), the organization he helped create six years ago to support players and raise concerns around working conditions in tennis. The former World No. 1 said he was happy to see younger stars now becoming more involved in these discussions. Djokovic specifically praised Aryna Sabalenka for stepping forward and understanding how tennis politics works behind the scenes. He made it clear that he supports players who are trying to improve conditions for everyone on tour.“I’m glad that there is willingness from the leaders of our sport, like Aryna Sabalenka, to really step up and really understand the dynamics of how the tennis politics works and understand the nuances and really what needs to be done not only for her benefit and well-being, but for everyone,” Djokovic said. The Serbian also explained that while he still supports the movement, he is no longer deeply involved in every meeting or conversation happening between players and tennis authorities. Instead, he said he is helping more from the sidelines while allowing the younger generation to lead.Away from the off-court debate, Djokovic looked relaxed about returning to clay-court tennis in Rome. The 38-year-old admitted that his biggest focus right now is preparing properly for Roland Garros rather than putting huge pressure on himself for immediate results. The 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion received a first-round bye at the Italian Open and is set to face Croatia’s Dino Prizmic in the Round of 64 during his first clay-court match of the 2026 season.
