The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA), co-founded by Novak Djokovic, has initiated legal proceedings against major tennis governing bodies.
The lawsuit targets the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The legal actions are being filed across multiple jurisdictions including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union.
The ATP and WTA have stated they will defend against these claims.
The PTPA, established in 2020 by Djokovic and Canadian player Vasek Pospisil, has gathered support from approximately 20 players who are participating in at least one of the legal actions.
“The lawsuits expose systemic abuse, anti-competitive practices, and a blatant disregard for player welfare that have persisted for decades,” said the PTPA statement.
“The ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA operate as a cartel by implementing a number of draconian, interlocking anti-competitive restraints and abusive practices.”
“Tennis is broken,” said Ahmad Nassar, Executive Director of the PTPA.
“Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardises their health and safety.”
The PTPA’s allegations include collusion among governing bodies, unfair prize money distribution, and demanding schedules.
The organisation also points to player welfare concerns, including matches in extreme heat, late-night finishes, and inconsistent tennis ball specifications.
Additional complaints address image rights, sponsorship limitations, and ranking point systems.
“Players are subjected to invasive searches of personal devices, random middle-of-the-night drug tests, and interrogations without legal representation,” the statement noted.
“While the ATP has remained focused on delivering reforms that benefit players at multiple levels, the PTPA has consistently chosen division and distraction through misinformation over progress,” the ATP responded.
The ATP further defended its position, stating they reject the PTPA’s claims and will defend their stance vigorously.
The WTA described the PTPA’s action as “both regrettable and misguided” and promised a strong defence.
The ITIA emphasised the importance of maintaining anti-doping and anti-corruption programs in tennis.
“The ITIA seeks to uphold the highest standards in our work, following best practice and appropriate rules throughout the management of cases, from intelligence gathering through to investigations and, where applicable, sanctions. For our part, we continue to welcome opportunities to engage with any and all members of the sport, including players, coaches, support staff, officials, and media, to build trust in tennis’ anti-doping and anti-corruption programmes.”
The PTPA’s executive council consists of seven members, including Djokovic, Pospisil, Hubert Hurkacz, Ons Jabeur, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Taylor Townsend, and Zheng Saisai.
Several players have joined the legal actions in different jurisdictions, with Nick Kyrgios, Varvara Gracheva, and Reilly Opelka supporting the US case, while Corentin Moutet and Taro Daniel have joined the UK proceedings.
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