The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) has filed a lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies, accusing them of anti-competitive behavior and neglecting player welfare.
Founded in 2019 by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, and supported by Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios, the PTPA is an independent players’ union. After years of attempting to reform professional tennis through good-faith efforts, the union claims it has been forced to take legal action to challenge the sport’s “monopolistic control.”
The lawsuit targets the governing bodies of both the men’s and women’s tours, as well as the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which manages team competitions, and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which oversees anti-doping and anti-corruption efforts within the sport.
The PTPA is supported by twelve current and former players, including Djokovic, Pospisil, and Kyrgios, who are listed as plaintiffs in the case.
A statement from the PTPA reads: “Today, we, alongside over a dozen professional tennis players and with renowned international law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, have initiated legal actions in the US, UK, and EU against the sport’s governing bodies. These lawsuits expose a long-standing culture of systemic abuse, anti-competitive practices, and blatant disregard for player welfare.”
Among the PTPA’s grievances are the suppression of competition between tournaments, which it argues leads to lower prize money, an outdated ranking points system, an unsustainable tournament schedule, and financial exploitation. Additionally, the union claims that governing bodies have neglected player welfare by scheduling matches late at night and in extreme heat, and it has criticized anti-doping procedures as invasive.
In response, the ATP has accused the PTPA of choosing “division and distraction” over constructive engagement and asserts that the union has no meaningful role in the sport. “We strongly reject the PTPA’s claims, believe the lawsuit lacks merit, and will vigorously defend our position,” said an ATP spokesperson.
