They're going to convert all tennis clubs into paddle or pickleball clubs: Novak Djokovic expresses concerns about economic crisis in sport | Tennis news

World number two and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on Saturday stressed the need for tennis to increase its innovation factor and admitted the future of the sport is in jeopardy.

Shortly after beating Alexei Popyrin in a four-set third round at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic was asked about the future of five-set matches and the dwindling number of spectators for long tennis matches.

The five-setters remain exclusive to men's tennis at the four Grand Slams. However, the matches have recently come under scrutiny, with tennis legend John McEnroe proposing to do away with the five-setters and instead introduce a 10-point tiebreaker after four sets.

Djokovic dismissed the need for such changes, but admitted that tennis could lose its place to sports such as paddle or pickleball if it does not reinvent itself. The 37-year-old said the expensive nature of tennis was one of the main factors hindering the growth of the sport at club level.

“Tennis is a very global sport and it’s loved by millions of kids who pick up a racket and want to play. But we don’t make it accessible. We don’t make it affordable. Especially in countries like mine, which don’t have a strong federation, which don’t have a Grand Slam or a history or big budgets. I think collectively we all need to come together and understand how to preserve the foundation of the sport, let’s say, or create a new foundation, a cornerstone of what tennis is really about, which is the grassroots level, right, the club level,” the Serb told reporters at Wimbledon after his third-round victory.

Blessed. On to week 2. Let’s go! photo.twitter.com/yZh3woNLkq

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) July 6, 2024

Djokovic admitted that the lack of marketing and engagement with young audiences is hindering the progress of the sport.

In terms of innovation in our sport, other than Slams, we have to think about how to attract a young audience. Tennis is in a good position on one hand, but on the other hand, if we look at Formula 1 for example and what they have done in terms of marketing, in terms of growing the sport, in terms of races all over the world and how popular they are… I think we have to do better on our respective tours. The Grand Slams will always do well. But I think our tours have to do better. We are lucky that we are a very historic and very global sport,” Djokovic added.

'King or queen of racket sports'

Djokovic warned that amateur tennis could soon lose its place to padel or pickleball due to the economic factor.

“Now we have paddle or padel that is growing and emerging. People are having fun with it and saying: Yes, but tennis is tennis. Tennis is the king or queen of all racket sports, that's true. But at the club level, tennis is in danger. If we don't do something about it, as I said, globally or collectively, paddle, pickle ball in the United States, then they are going to convert all tennis clubs to paddle and pickle ball because it is simply more economical,” Djokovic noted.

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), led by Djokovic, shared an infographic in December 2023 showing that tennis' revenue sharing was a meager 18 percent, significantly lower than other major sporting leagues in the world.

“I think one of the studies that PTPA did 3 or 4 years ago showed that tennis is the third or fourth most watched sport in the world, right up there with cricket. Number one is football or soccer as you call it in the US. Second is basketball. Then it’s tennis and cricket. But tennis is number 9 or 10 on the list of all sports in terms of leveraging its popularity, commercializing or capitalizing on it. I think there’s a huge room for growth. We’re quite fragmented as a sport,” Djokovic added.

The world number 2 will be back in action on Monday in the round of 16 against Dane Holger Rune.

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