The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA), co-founded by Novak Djokovic, has initiated legal action against the sport’s governing bodies, accusing them of anti-competitive behavior and neglecting player welfare.
Filed in the United States District Court in New York, the 163-page lawsuit demands a jury trial. It claims that professional tennis players are trapped in a “rigged game” with minimal control over their careers and brands.
The lawsuit, supported by 12 players including Djokovic’s co-founder Vasek Pospisil and Nick Kyrgios, targets the monopolistic practices of the ATP Tour, WTA, ITF, and ITIA, accusing these bodies of exerting excessive control over the sport.
Ahmad Nassar, the PTPA’s executive director, stated that tennis is “broken,” with players being exploited despite their talent. He emphasized that previous attempts to address these concerns through discussions were ignored, prompting the PTPA to pursue legal action as the only remaining option. Nassar insisted that the goal was not to disrupt tennis, but to save the sport for future generations.
The lawsuit challenges several issues within tennis governance:
- Monopolistic Agreements & Prize Money Caps: The PTPA alleges that the governing bodies act as a cartel, restricting prize money and limiting competition in the market.
- Unfair Ranking System: The lawsuit criticizes the ranking system, describing it as “draconian,” and argues that it forces players into tournaments dictated by the governing bodies, limiting their freedom and earnings potential.
- Brutal Scheduling & Player Safety Concerns: The tour’s intense 11-month calendar, along with demanding conditions like extreme heat or late-night matches, is labeled “unsustainable.” The lawsuit also claims that changes to tennis balls during the season contribute to injuries.
- Control Over Image Rights & Privacy Violations: The lawsuit alleges that the governing bodies take control of players’ image rights, redirecting revenue away from the athletes, and accuses the ITIA of invading players’ privacy by searching their phones during corruption or doping investigations.
In response, the ATP Tour rejected the lawsuit, calling the claims “entirely without merit” and accusing the PTPA of causing division through misinformation. The WTA also criticized the case, calling it “regrettable and misguided.”
Vasek Pospisil, a prominent member of the PTPA and former Wimbledon doubles champion, described the lawsuit as a fight for fairness, safety, and human dignity. He highlighted the struggles of players, noting that even those who are fortunate, like himself, have faced difficult situations, such as sleeping in cars while traveling for matches—something unimaginable in other major sports.
The lawsuit’s outcome will likely have significant consequences on the power dynamics between players and governing bodies in tennis, potentially shaping the sport’s future governance.