In 2016, Novak Djokovic faced severe backlash over his comment about equal pay in sports after he admitted that male players should be paid more than women because they attracted more interest. He rebuffed the claim immediately, saying it wasn’t what he meant and has since proven to be an advocate for women’s tennis. He even co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) in 2020 to move the motion in tennis.
However, at the Ballon d’Or award ceremony, Djokovic was invited to the stage to award Spanish star Aitana Bonmati the Ballon d’Or Féminin and that has caused a stir among some fans.
Djokovic’s Ballon d’Or participation sparks fan backlash
Novak Djokovic has been in Paris for the Paris Masters tournament but would play his first game as a top-seed in the round of 32. The 36-year-old star was in the midst of star-studded football players at the Ballon d’Or ceremony and was invited to present the women’s Ballon d’Or to Aitana Bonmati, who won the Women’s World Cup with Spain.
“It’s a great privilege, surrounded by the best players in the world, in the greatest spot in the world,” Djokovic said. “The sport I grew up with, playing every single day … I think I was around 9 or 10 years old and I was deciding whether I was going to play football or tennis, so I chose tennis. I don’t know if it was a good choice; I think it was.”
Furthermore, the presentation of the award didn’t go well with some fans who remembered the 2016 incident. A fan reacted: “Nothing says ‘celebrate the achievement of female athletes’ like inviting a male athlete who advocated against equal pay to talk about himself and the completely different sport he plays.”
“We are living in the year of women’s football and we’re holding the Ballon d’Or in their international window and having … Novak Djokovic present the award. The disrespect,” sports journalist Lavender Baj wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Meanwhile, Djokovic is eyeing for his 7th Paris Masters title and a 37th ATP 1000 trophy as he plays either against Miomir Kecmanovic or Tomas Martin Etcheverry in his opening match.
Examining Novak Djokovic POV on equal pay
Since 2016, Novak Djokovic has become an advocate of equal pay and fairness in tennis. In 2019, the Serbian star admitted that men should take a pay cut to ensure women were paid the same; and in 2020 he co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association, a player union of sorts.
“I understand how much power and energy WTA and all the advocates for equal prize money have invested in order to reach that,” Djokovic said in 2016. “I applaud them for that. I honestly do. They fought for what they deserve, and they got it. On the other hand, I think that our men’s tennis world, ATP world, should fight for more because the stats are showing that we have much more spectators….”
Djokovic revealed that he has tremendous respect for what women in global sport are doing and achieving, “Their bodies are much different than men’s bodies. They have to go through a lot of different things that we don’t have to go through. You know, the hormones and different stuff, we don’t need to go into details. Ladies know what I’m talking about. I’m surrounded by women. I’m very happy obviously to be married with one and to have a child. I’m completely for women power.”
Even when the Serbian keeps doing more by advocating for fair salary to players no matter their ranking, some fans still do not know what the tennis legend is striving to do in the game.
