Djokovic: With an evergreen spirit, driving a new wave of tennis transformation. Is reform really coming?

At 38, Novak Djokovic remains relentless. The 24-time Grand Slam winner candidly stated at the Saudi Joy Forum his desire to witness and engage in tennis’s "inevitable transformation" as a current player, intertwining his career with the sport’s evolution and laying the foundation for its future growth. Behind his words lies the undercurrent of ongoing reforms in tennis event structures, with Djokovic, as the GOAT, emerging as a central force driving this change.

The current tennis event system faces multiple challenges: the traditional packed schedule causes frequent injuries among top players; emerging capital introduces high-prize tournaments (such as the Saudi Six Masters), competing with traditional Grand Slams and Masters events; long-standing issues include insufficient player rights protection and low commercial revenue shares. Against this backdrop, transformation has become an industry consensus.

This transformation is likely to focus on three main areas: restructuring the tournament calendar to balance traditional and emerging events and reduce player workload, with the 2025 ATP Super Masters pilot already underway; commercial development embracing streaming and new technologies to increase players’ shares of copyright revenues, breaking the monopoly of event organizers and capital; and governance reforms, with growing calls to establish a unified “Global Players Association” to strengthen players’ decision-making power over scheduling and prize distribution.

Djokovic’s role is crucial. Taking inspiration from sports legends like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo, he plans to extend his career until the tennis transformation is realized, advocating reform as an active player while mediating interests among veteran and new players, event organizers, and investors. His “insider” stance suggests some reform details are already in progress and will gradually be implemented over the coming years.

The year 2026 marks a pivotal window for reform: after the Australian Open, the ATP Players’ Council meeting may reveal details of the 2027 calendar changes; during Roland Garros, the vote to establish the “Global Players Association” will approach; Wimbledon and the US Open will trial new broadcasting models and prize distribution schemes. If Djokovic officially assumes a key role in the players’ association, emerging and traditional tournaments complement each other well, and player prize shares exceed 25%, it will signify a substantial breakthrough in transformation.

For a tournament to endure over time, growth is essential and reform is necessary.

For Djokovic, this transformation is both an opportunity and a responsibility. He hopes to witness the reform results as a player in the new system and to cement his legacy as a “reformer.” As former British star Rusedski said, as long as Djokovic still enjoys the challenge, he deserves to keep going. Under this evergreen figure’s drive, tennis will enter a new phase of more dynamic, fair, and sustainable development.

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