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Andy Murray says he won't back Novak Djokovic-led idea for players' group

Former US Open champion Andy Murray, well-known for his support for gender equality in various aspects of the game, said Saturday at the National Tennis Center that he would not be signing on to support a rebel ATP faction led by top-ranked Novak Djokovic and journeyman Vasek Pospisil.

"I'm not totally against a player union, player association, but right now there's a couple of things," Murray said during his media day news conference for the US Open, which begins on Monday.

"One is, I feel like the current management that are in place should be given some time to implement their vision," Murray said, referring to the new leadership that took over at the helm of the ATP Tour at the end of 2019.

He added, "The fact that the women aren't part of it, I feel like [restructuring] would send a much more powerful message if the WTA were on board with it, as well. That's not currently the case."

Murray's mother, Judy, who introduced him to tennis and developed his game, is a familiar fixture on the pro tour and in tennis-related social media. Murray was coached at one period in his pro career by French former Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo. He has frequently spoken up for women's rights.

The plan announced by Djokovic and Pospisil in a recent email to ATP players calls for the creation of an entity, the Professional Tennis Players Association, to better represent the interests of the players. Djokovic and Pospisil are scheduled to make their pitch to their fellow ATP players during their customary pre-Grand Slam player meeting, This year, the meeting will be virtual.

The ATP responded swiftly when the contents of the email were published, defending the partnership-based style of management that the players themselves chose after a revolt in 1988. That model has run the ATP Tour since.

Neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal have thrown their support behind Djokovic and Pospisil. They, and other top players, support the ATP Tour status quo.

Federer, Nadal, and a number of other high-ranking players, including some members of the player council, had opposed the breakaway group from the first signs that plans were afoot to create a new player association. That was in January 2019, following a fiery letter Pospisil sent to players ranked between No. 50 and 100, urging them to join a campaign to dump ATP Tour chairman Chris Kermode, who had been at the helm since 2014.

The Pospisil letter read, in part: "Start acting and running like a business not like a bunch of scared kids ... we need a CEO that first and foremost represents OUR interests..."

Stan Wawrinka, a multiple Grand Slam champion, responded by disseminating a letter of his own, in which he partly wrote: "YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE CURRENT DIRECTION LAST 5 YEARS AND ACCEPT IT IS GOOD AND MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YOU CANNOT BE SURE IT WILL BE BETTER [under a new ATP president]."

Federer and Nadal, who held a view similar to Wawrinka's, have responded to Djokovic and Pospisil's most recent announcement, joining player council representatives Kevin Anderson, Jurgen Melzer, Sam Querrey and Bruno Soares in sending a note to players raising questions about the proposal and saying they oppose it.

"The world is living a difficult and complicated situation. I personally believe these are times to be calm and work all of us together in the same direction. It is time for unity, not for separation,'' Nadal tweeted. "These are moments where big things can be achieved as long as the world of tennis is united. We all, players, tournaments and governing bodies have to work together. We have a bigger problem and separation and disunion is definitely not the solution.''

Federer quote-tweeted his on-court rival to say he agrees and added: "These are uncertain and challenging times, but I believe it's critical for us to stand united as players, and as a sport, to pave the best way forward.''

The Associated Press contributed to this report.