The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), co-founded by tennis star Novak Djokovic, on Thursday, took legal action against the sport’s governing bodies for “systemic abuse, anti-competitive practices, and a blatant disregard for player welfare.”
The PTPA, in a statement, said that it initiated a series of legal actions in the U.S., UK, and EU against the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The PTPA was set up by Djokovic and Canadian Vasek Pospisil in 2020. The association which includes the top 250+ men’s and women’s players including a majority of the Top 20 players, said that they are seeking a fair, transparent system that prioritizes their rights, health, and safety over the unchecked authority of the sport’s governing bodies, ensuring they receive the same protections and opportunities as professional athletes in other global sports.
“Tennis is broken,” said Ahmad Nassar, Executive Director of the PTPA.
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“Behind the glamorous veneer that the Defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety. We have exhausted all options for reform through dialogue, and the governing bodies have left us no choice but to seek accountability through the courts. Fixing these systemic failures isn’t about disrupting tennis—it’s about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come,” he added.
The statement listed alleged abuses they are targeting.
It said the defendants “colluded”, “fixing prize money and suppressing player earnings” forcing “an unsustainable schedule” and exploiting players financially.
It added that the bodies show a “disregard for players” by making them “compete in 100-degree (Fahrenheit) heat, endure matches that ended at 3 AM, and play with different and injury-inducing tennis balls”.
The PTPA also cited image right ownership, sponsorship restrictions and the “draconian system of ranking points”. The statement also complained that tennis violates players’ “privacy rights”.
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In response, the ATP dismissed the allegation and accused the PTPA of choosing “division and distraction” and having no meaningful role in the sport.
“We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA’s claims, believe the case to be entirely without merit, and will vigorously defend our position,” the ATP said in a statement.
“ATP remains committed to working in the best interests of the game – towards continued growth, financial stability, and the best possible future for our players, tournaments, and fans,” it added.
In addition to Djokovic and Pospisil, the seven-member PTPA executive council also includes players, Hubert Hurkacz, Ons Jabeur, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Taylor Townsend and SaiSai Zheng.
Australian Nick Kyrgios, France’s Varvara Gracheva and American Reilly Opelka have joined the PTPA’s case in the United States, while Frenchman Corentin Moutet and Japan’s Taro Daniel have joined the case in the United Kingdom.
(With inputs from AFP)