Source
r/tennis•
SnatchingDefeat

The Tennis Podcast Goes In on Pospisil and the PTPA

Media

https://play.acast.com/s/thetennispodcast/miamiunderway-pospisilmeltsdown-moremurray-delpomisery

Discussion of the Pospisil incident in Miami begins at 26:00.

Catherine Whitaker:

He's trying to spearhead what ought to be a very grown-up thing. Unfortunately, that behaviour and the immaturity of it kind of reflects the PTPA and what they've been trying to do.

The way they've gone about it, I think there is real immaturity to it. It just seems so incoherent at best. I mean, what even are they? A photo does not an organization make....It just all feels like a bit of a messy, immature, naive venture at this stage.

Maybe they do have a very serious MO and mission statement and ways of doing things, but we haven't heard about it....I don't hear any really coherent viable alternatives being presented....and if you're trying to set up something as important and big deal as this you probably should have that.

I'm just really confused about what the whole thing is about...just an awful, awful look. Bad for the movement.

Matt Roberts:

Regardless of what you think of [the PTPA], I think Pospisil's actions did absolutely no favours yesterday. I thought it was quite embarrassing, actually.

That is not a guy that I would want leading me. It wasn't statesmanlike in any respect.

It just seems to me that it's not been thought through all the way, this PTPA, and they may well have some very legitimate points, but we've not seen them.

This is quite literally the face of Tennis United, Vasek Pospisil. He was the host of that program during the pandemic...and then you get him behaving like that on the court. It's ridiculous, frankly.

David Law:

It was a total and utter meltdown...It wasn't just anger, he completely lost control....He tries to come across in a very considered, measured manner, as though he's the sort of college graduate type. That's the vibe he tries to give off...but this was a complete departure from that.

I think he's missing an apology to the umpire, personally.

I've never seen anything quite like that....I've never seen a player bring a political saga and a row off-court onto the court in quite that way and melt down.

Posted Mar 26, 2021, 9:17 AM UTC

022
SmoothLettuce•

I agree with their assessment of the PTPA. I want to like it but it seems so disorganized and incoherent.

I think it’s weird how little people talk about what led to Vasek’s outburst. ATP CEO went on a tirade against him calling him ignorant and uneducated in front of other players. But because Vasek’s outburst was on court rather than behind closed doors he’s the crazy asshole? Idk I kind of feel for him, I’d be a mess if my boss ripped me apart in front of my coworkers.

22
jsnoodles💚💛Aus + Maria💙🤍•

Yeah I’m from a family of union leaders and agree with a lot of what they want, but it’s so disjointed and with no clear idea of what it wants to be.

I think the issue with Vasek here is he’s taking his anger out on innocent people. It’s like having your boss yell at you and then you going on to take it out on the waitstaff when you go have dinner after work. I’m all for him having a press conference calling out the BS, but an innocent umpire and opponent weren’t to blame.

5
SmoothLettuce•

Agreed. I guess I just wish people would acknowledge Gaudenzi’s behavior was also inappropriate.

3
SnatchingDefeatOPNovax 💉 Djokovic•

I think people would if we could get a recording of what happened rather than just hearsay.

0
Pelolai•

The Chairman’s behavior was clearly wrong. But, man, what a way to prove him right. Pospisil needs some coaching if he wants to be an effective leader.

5
nachtigalz•

If you really want to understand what is going on this article explains it well. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-24/novak-djokovic-other-tennis-players-seek-to-reform-economics-of-the-sport The fact is the system is truly broken and players are often on the losing end. I don’t agree with what Pospisil did but he is a tennis player not a union organizer. The players need someone with experience to help them - but even getting to that point seems difficult especially with so many players turning into tournament directors (Lopez et al). I would even argue the way the tennis media covers this issue is very slanted because they are often at the mercy of the ATP. David Law has ties to the Queen’s tournament as well as being a former comms for ATP. All that to say it’s a very complicated issue and the PTPA is a grassroots org that doesn’t have good communications or organization strategy.

17
BigSillyDaisy•

Thank you for that link, it was a really helpful explainer on all the political factions involved.

3
SnatchingDefeatOPNovax 💉 Djokovic•

It seems clear to me that the players need to hire a firm that has expertise and competence in collective bargaining, labor, and public relations, and they need to speak to the ATP and the public on these matters only through that entity.

They are not equipped to manage this on their own, and they've done more harm than good for themselves so far.

2
jsnoodles💚💛Aus + Maria💙🤍•

It’s a good point. What is the PTPA other than a photo?

11
procrastambitiousAndy Murray•

The PTPA is a move in the right direction. I am going to stop just short of saying necessary, because it doesn't have to be the PTPA, but an organisation like it.

But as another commenter noted, it's not enough to have some goals and the backing of the world's number one men's player. You need all other players to jump on and/or have some serious organisational power (like employing an actual experienced company to do the work, at least initially).

I have been rooting against Pospisil for a few years now, ever since he was high up on the players council in the ATP and he was actively and vocally supporting a dude who was a domestic abuser and had assaulted some randoms. I remember thinking then that Pospisil isn't able to do unbiased organisational duties and shouldn't be out there representing people. He is too interested in his own circle. I'm very concerned about the PTPA if he's so high up in it.

5
SnatchingDefeatOPNovax 💉 Djokovic•

The PTPA as a concept may be a move in the right direction, but in practice it has been harmful to the interests and parties it purports to promote.

ever since he was high up on the players council in the ATP and he was actively and vocally supporting a dude who was a domestic abuser and had assaulted some randoms.

I'm out of the loop on this. Do you mind elaborating?

4
procrastambitiousAndy Murray•

I agree with you about the PTPA right now clearly not having the legs nor the ability to institute any decent change, which currently makes it an obstacle instead.

As for your other question, I'm referring to his support of Justin Gimelstob. That is, before AND after the guy was charged for criminal assault. link about Gimelstob.

This article doesn't have the Pospisil support in it. But googling Pospisil and Gimelstob will give you tons of hits.

3
SnatchingDefeatOPNovax 💉 Djokovic•

Ok, so after some digging I found that Pospisil said the players would be fortunate to have Gimelstob serve another term on the ATP Player Council after Gimelstob pleaded no contest to assaulting a man who was trick-or-treating with his wife and two-year-old daughter.

The facts and plea were known at the time Pospisil made that statement.

All of this leads me to believe that Pospisil just has terrible judgment.

3
procrastambitiousAndy Murray•

Indeed, I spoke of this without citing anything because it was very big on this subreddit at the time it happened. The hearsay part (I think it's mentioned in the article) is that Gimelstob was a known domestic abuser. I call it hearsay only because I don't think he was ever convicted of it, but it was both well-known and aired during the assault conviction. And after all this, Pospisil backed him completely.

4
missL102781•

Let the smears begin..

4†
backwards_109•

Is there a list of players who belong to the PTPA? I know a lot of people were on the fence when asked and needed more info.

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Bobo_BaldeDaily Veljović•

Ahh yes, the posh white upper middle class English people are reflexively against change or reform. Any surprise there? Nope.

Yes, Pospisil is just a Djokovic lackey and cannot articulate the need for change in interviews that he has done, especially that interview with Nina Pantic. He's just a follower and not all that bright either.

-4†
SnatchingDefeatOPNovax 💉 Djokovic•

I don't think they're opposed to reform. Their criticism is that no specific reforms have been proposed, and no reform movement is promoted by behaving the way Pospisil did.

7
dougraydAuger minus Aliassime•

Djokovic should not be leading the PTPA either...

2†
Voissedthe ATP kiddies' pool can only hold 3 people•

A good leader would immediately remove Pospisil from his position in the association after this incident. You don't want your own representatives soiling the image of your association like this.

2†
Bobo_BaldeDaily Veljović•

Djokovic does not seem to understand public relations. The anti-vax stuff and allying himself with ring wing Americans, siding with Gimmelstob etc.

0†
Voissedthe ATP kiddies' pool can only hold 3 people•

Not a single lie was told.

I used to root for that guy but he got power-hungry and now acts like people should kneel at his and Djokovic's feet like they're the tennis Messiahs or something. Ridiculous.

That said, the ATP clearly doesn't have a track-record of punishing this kind of behavior so if they did something now, it would absolutely be politically motivated and that's no good either. So basically they deserve this.

-5†