The Novak Djokovic-led Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) created a storm on Tuesday, filing a lawsuit on the sport’s governing bodies. In a strongly worded statement, the PTPA accused the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, ITF and the ITIA of creating an ‘unfair’ system in tennis.
In a statement, Ahmad Nassar, executive director of the PTPA, said, “Tennis is broken. 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.”
“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.”
Meanwhile in response, the ATP has also released a statement, claiming that they have always worked for equality among players. “Since the inception of the ATP Tour in 1990, ATP has played a leading role in the global growth of men’s professional tennis. Throughout more than three decades, ATP’s 50-50 governance structure has ensured that players and tournaments have an equal voice in shaping the sport’s direction at the highest level”, the ATP said.
The ATP statement also added, “We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA’s claims, believe the case to be entirely without merit, and will vigorously defend our position. 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.”
Meanwhile, the WTA also issued a response, and remarked in a statement, “The PTPA’s action is both regrettable and misguided, and we will defend our position vigorously in due course.”
The PTPA was set up by Djokovic and Canadian Vasek Pospisil in 2020, and around 20 players are named in the statement. The PTPA also accused the governing bodies of colluding with defendants, fixing prize money and suppressing player earnings’ which has forced an unsustainable schedule.
Leave feedback about this