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Victor Petkov
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Djokovic receives support in ATP schedule discussion
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Casper Ruud said Djokovic is right about the heavy schedule in male tennis

The ongoing debate about tennis’ heavy schedule shows no signs of slowing down, with Casper Ruud once again voicing his frustration over what he described as a “really, really long season.” The Norwegian star also threw his support behind Novak Djokovic, who recently criticized top players for failing to unite and push for meaningful reform within the sport.

Djokovic argued that while many players complain about the demanding ATP and WTA calendars, few are willing to actively take part in the process of change.

“As a player and someone that has been playing on the highest level for more than 20 years, I can say that the players are not united enough,” Djokovic said. “Players make the comments and they complain, and then they go away. And then if something is wrong, after a certain amount of time they come back again.”

The Serbian added that it is up to each player to take responsibility: “You have to invest the time, you have to invest energy yourself… to understand how the system works and what can be improved in terms of the players’ interest.”

Ruud, who has also spoken out about the exhausting nature of the tennis calendar — particularly during the clay swing at Roland Garros — said Djokovic’s criticism is justified.

“Of course, Novak has a point,” Ruud told Bolavip. “He has more experience than any other player. Sure, you can pick and choose in a way, because we are not hired by the ATP, we are bosses of our own schedule.”

However, the Norwegian highlighted that financial incentives make it difficult for players to skip major tournaments. “What I criticized and talked about at the French Open was that there is an economic motivation to play and not skip any Masters 1000s with the bonus and everything,” he said. “If you are in the top 10 or top 15, you make a lot of money, but you also spend a lot with all the expenses you have, so you don’t want to miss out on any money if you don’t need to.”