The player organisation set up by Novak Djokovic has launched legal action in the US, UK and EU against tennis' governing bodies, accusing them of anti-competitive practices and a disregard for player welfare.
Founded by Djokovic and Canada’s Vasek Pospisil in 2021, the Professional Tennis Players Association cites its mission as supporting and safeguarding professional tennis players.
But it has found driving change from outside the system very difficult and is now taking a legal route against the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation and International Tennis Integrity Agency, which oversees the sport’s anti-doping and anti-corruption system.
Twelve current and former players, including Pospisil and Nick Kyrgios, are listed as plaintiffs along with the PTPA.
A statement read: "Following years of good-faith efforts to reform professional tennis, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has taken decisive legal action.
"Today, the PTPA, alongside over a dozen professional tennis players and on behalf of the entire player population, and renowned international law firm and historical player advocates Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, initiated a series of legal actions in the US, UK and EU against the sport’s governing bodies – the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
"The lawsuits expose systemic abuse, anti-competitive practices, and a blatant disregard for player welfare that have persisted for decades."
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 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."
Describing the various governing bodies as 'a cartel', the PTPA accuses them of paying "artificially low compensation to professional tennis players" and imposing a "draconian" ranking system that forces them to compete in certain tournaments.
Among the PTPA's complaints are the suppression of competition between tournaments, which it says reduces prize money, a draconian ranking points system, an unsustainable schedule and financial exploitation of players.
It also accused the governing bodies of disregarding player welfare by forcing athletes to compete late at night and in extreme heat, while the PTPA branded anti-doping practices an invasion of privacy.
Prior to filing the lawsuit, the PTPA said it met with more than 250 players across the tours, including the majority of the men's and women's top 20.
"The overwhelmingly positive player feedback was a resounding confirmation -- change is needed now, and players are united in their fight for reform," the statement said.
Pospisil, a former Wimbledon doubles champion and quarter-finalist in singles, said: "This is not just about money, it’s about fairness, safety, and basic human dignity.
"I’m one of the more fortunate players and I’ve still had to sleep in my car when travelling to matches early on in my career. Imagine an NFL player being told that he had to sleep in his car at an away game? It’s absurd and would never happen, obviously. No other major sport treats its athletes this way.
"The governing bodies force us into unfair contracts, impose inhumane schedules, and punish us for speaking out. The legal actions taken today are about fixing tennis for today’s players and future generations.
"It’s time for accountability, real reform, and a system that protects and empowers players. All stakeholders deserve a sport that operates with fairness and integrity."#
Serbia's 24-times Grand Slam champion Djokovic has been a fierce advocate for change to the organisation of tennis, insisting lower-ranked players get a bad deal.
"Women and men who are around 200 and lower ranked in the world, they are struggling a lot," he said in a CBS interview in 2023.
"They can't afford a coach, they can't afford travels, they skip tournaments, many of them leave tennis who are super talented and maybe capable of reaching great heights."
The ITIA, which manages the sport's anti-doping and anti-corruption programmes, said it would not comment on the PTPA's lawsuit.
The ATP accused the PTPA of choosing "division and distraction through misinformation over progress", while the WTA called the legal action "regrettable and misguided".
Additional reporting: Reuters
