Tennis star Novak Djokovic reportedly shocked fellow players after he hijacked a players meeting in Melbourne to demand a dramatic pay rise.
Djokovic dropped the bombshell demand, to the surprise of many tennis stars, at a conference centre on Friday.
The Daily Mail reported the 30-year-old threw the meeting offthe rails after he walked onto the stage and demanded all non-players to leave so he could speak exclusively to current players on the ATP Tour.
The demands come after tournament director Craig Tiley revealed the total prize money for the 2018 Australian Open, which had a 10 per cent increase on the 2017 total prize money purse.
The Open's total prize money rose to $55 million this year, including $4 million paydays for the winners on the men's and women's singles draws.
First round losers would now receive $60,000, just for showing up to Melbourne Park, and Tiley told players within the next six years the total prize money would rise to $100 million.
Roger Federer reportedly opted against supporting Novak Djokovic's demands. Photo / Getty
However, for the Serbian superstar that wasn't enough as Djokovic reportedly stunned the group of around 150 professional tennis players by advocating a break away players union.
Djokovic presented his plan to break away from the ATP and organised for an Australian lawyer to present the legal technicalities the players would need to be aware of, if they chose to set-up their own union.
The Daily Mail reported that several players, such as world No. 4 Alexander Zverev, have publically endorsed Djokovic's bombshell.
However, 19-time grand slam champion Roger Federer has reportedly declared he would not support the plan.
The ATP Tour lists Djokovic's career prize money as US$109,805,403 heading into the Australian Open.
It comes after a growing number of players on the ATP Tour believed equal pay with players on the women's WTA Tour was holding them back from increasing their own prize money.
