Things are not going well behind the scenes in the tennis world. Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil have formed a new men’s players association, Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).  Women tennis players are not included in the PTPA.

Djokovic also resigned as president of the ATP Player Council before announcing the formation of PTPA.  Pospisil and John Isner also resigned from the ATP Player Council.

Djokovic and Pospisil will be the co-presidents of PTPA. PTPA will have a board comprising of nine elected members.

Not everyone is happy with the new organization though. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray are not on board. Other players such as Kevin Anderson have also expressed reservations about the break-away group.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, who is also a former tennis player, asked for unity among the tennis players.

We should not forget that, as an entertainment product, our competition for audiences and long-term growth is with other sports and forms of entertainment. Our battle is not with each other. Now, more than ever is the time for unity and collaboration.

-Andrea Gaudenzi, Executive Chairman, ATP

The grand slam tournaments and the ITF released statements yesterday supporting the ATP.  

What does all this mean?

Honestly, no one knows.  The details provided by PTPA are vague. 

• Will the PTPA engage in collective bargaining like the NBA, NFL, and MLB?
• Will the women players join the PTPA? 

Maria Sakkari, along with fellow Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas has put Greece on the tennis map. Sakkari has millions of fans in Greece and around the world. Sponsors have rushed to sign up Sakkari so their brands can be associated with a top female tennis player.

She was introduced to tennis by her parents at age 6. Her idols are Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. She is represented by the talent agency, StarWing Sports.

Sakkari has been a trailblazer for Green in women’s tennis. Not surprisingly, she has a long roster of sponsors. Her current sponsors are Adidas, Wilson, Rolex, Apivita, Nespresso, National Bank of Greece, Cosmote, Aegean Airlines, Replay, and Green Cola. 

Maria Sakkari’s Sponsors

Adidas

Maria Sakkari wears Adidas apparel and shoes on the court. She switched to Adidas from her longtime sponsor Nike in 2020. Sakkari currently wears the Adidas Solematch Bounce shoes.

Wilson

Sakkari has a racquet deal with Wilson. She uses the Wilson Ultra 100 racquets with and Luxilon ALU Power 125 strings (also made by Wilson).

Rolex

Maria Sakkari has a sponsorship deal with Rolex, a well-known luxury Swiss watch manufacturer. Rolex is also the official timekeeper at grand slams and several major tennis tournaments around the world.

Apivita

Sakkari is a global ambassador for Apivita. Apivita is a Greek cosmetic manufacturer that makes natural health and beauty products.

Dior

In 2022, French fashion house Dior announced its partnership with Sakkari. Dior also sponsors British tennis star Emma Raducanu.

Nespresso

Nespresso attempts to bring luxury coffee and espresso machine into your kitchen so you don’t have to a cafe to get your caffeine fill.

National Bank of Greece

The National Bank of Greece is a banking and financial services company based in Athens, Greece.

Cosmote

Cosmote is a media company that offers programming in sports, movies, and documentaries.

Aegean Airlines

Aegean is the largest Greek airline and is the flagship carrier in Greece.

Replay

Replay is a retailer that sells fashion and accessories for people of all ages. 

Green Cola

Green Cola is a Greek company that makes healthy soft drinks.