Riley Gaines extended her support towards the Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic, for walking away from the Professional Tennis Players Association. He is currently focused on gearing up for the 2026 tennis season.
Djokovic co-founded the PTPA with fellow tennis player Vasek Pospisil in 2020 during the US Open. Five years after his association with the organization, the Serb announced his decision to step away from it. He shared a heartfelt note on X, stating that his values and approach are not aligning with the organization.
Speaking about his decision to part ways with the PTPA the Serb wrote,
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step away completely from the Professional Tennis Players Association. This decision comes after ongoing concerns regarding transparency, governance, and the way my voice and image have been represented. I am proud of the vision that Vasek and I shared when founding the PTPA, giving players a stronger, independent voice – but it has become clear that my values and approach are no longer aligned with the current direction of the organization,” wrote Djokovic.
Here is the full note:
The announcement garnered the attention of Gaines, who reposted Djokovic’s post on her X wall. Reacting to his decision, she wrote:
“Onwards and upwards for @DjokerNole!”
Riley Gaines sided with Novak Djokovic on Stephen A. Smith’s changed opinion about Kyrie Irving’s views on vaccine
During the 2021-22 pandemic period, the most talked about news in the NBA was Kyrie Irving’s refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccination. It did not comply with local health guidelines. Even though the NBA did not make it compulsory, they instructed the players to follow the local health rules.
Stephen A. Smith disapproved of Irving’s decision. However, years later, in October 2025, Smith changed his stance and agreed with the 33-year-old for not getting the vaccination. A video of the same went viral online, which caught the attention of Riley Gaines.
Resharing the video, she tagged Novak Djokovic and Aaron Rodgers in her message, as both the players were also against vaccination. The Serb’s stance resulted in him missing the 2022 US Open, and he was also disqualified from the Australian Open as his visa was cancelled because he didn’t get vaccinated.
Highlighting this situation, Gaines wrote on X:
“I doubt we’ll be seeing an apology to @AaronRodgers 12 or @DjokerNole anytime soon,” wrote Riley Gaines.
Riley Gaines is known for voicing her opinions on different topics on social media platforms. She recently shared her thoughts about representative Rohit Khanna for supporting transgender individuals in using women’s spaces.
Edited by Tushhita Barua
