Novak Djokovic feels players are partly to blame for longer Masters events

Novak Djokovic criticised his fellow players for not being willing to fight for their interests.

The Serbian co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association, which is currently engaged in legal action against the tours, to try to give athletes more of a voice and has been a leading advocate for increased prize money and other welfare changes.

Djokovic will play his first tournament since Wimbledon at the US Open as he resumes his search for a 25th grand slam title, with the 38-year-old revealing he skipped the recent Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati because he finds them too long.

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The move towards lengthening Masters tournaments to almost two weeks has not been popular with many players and fans, but Djokovic believes his competitors partly have themselves to blame.

“I support the players,” said the former world number one, who believes prize money still needs to go higher than the record 90million US dollars on offer at Flushing Meadows.

“But, in the end of the day, when the players needed to be active and when there was a time of negotiations and decision-making, players weren’t participating enough.

“This is an ongoing story of the players, particularly top players. They express their feelings, but then when you really need to put in the time and the energy into conversations, meetings – which I know it’s very difficult, I have been there, trust me, many times.

“But it’s necessary because then you’re doing something not only for yourself but future generations, and you’re making the right moves, the right steps, and contributing.”

It is now two years since Djokovic won his most recent grand slam title, with this season seeing him fall in the semi-finals