Since the week before this Australian Open, the world’s leading players have been involved in a backstage game of tennis politics, with the central issue being the possible renewal of Chris Kermode’s contract as ATP tour president and chief executive.

Novak Djokovic – the world No 1 and chairman of the player council – has declined to discuss his views, while most of the other big names have come out in support of Kermode.

Now a letter from Stan Wawrinka has emerged in which he attacks the faction who have been calling for change. Hitting the caps lock on his keyboard, Wawrinka writes “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].”

Wawrinka’s letter was sent on Sunday to Vasek Pospisil, the Canadian No. 3, who is the most outspoken of the anti-Kermode faction. A couple of days earlier, a letter from Pospisil to the players ranked between No. 50 and 100 had leaked into the public domain, in which Pospisil suggested that they should “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”.