The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), founded by Novak Djokovic and 22 other players, has filed lawsuits against tennis’ governing bodies. On Tuesday, they took legal action against the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), accusing them of running the sport like a monopoly.
The PTPA says these organizations are trapping players in an unfair system. They claim that athletes are being exploited, underpaid, and put at risk. According to the group, repeated attempts to negotiate change have been ignored. “Tennis is broken,” said Ahmad Nassar, the 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 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.”
The lawsuits have been filed in the UK, the EU, and the US. Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, who co-founded the PTPA in 2020, have been pushing for reforms for years. Pospisil said that after feeling ignored, they started considering legal action last year.
The PTPA claims that the ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA act like a “cartel.” They accuse these governing bodies of enforcing “draconian” and “abusive” practices and working together to limit competition and control prize money.
The governing bodies have yet to comment publicly.
The post “Tennis Is Broken,” Novak Djokovic’s Union Lodges Legal Suits Against “Draconian” “Abusive” ATP, WTA Practices appeared first on EssentiallySports.
