Tennis organisers have been hit with a dramatic lawsuit by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), accused of "abusing" players' rights.
Co-founded by Novak Djokovic and Canada's Vasek Pospisil in 2019, the PTPA is an independent union that represents singles players in the top-500 and the top-200 doubles players of both the ATP and WTA Tours.
In an X post explaining the PTPA's stance, Pospisil noted that the union spoke to "over 300 players prior to filing" the lawsuit.
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Nick Kyrgios, one of 12 players who agreed to act as a plaintiff in the case, assured the tennis world that "there are top players" who demand change.
"I felt like people knew there was something going on behind the scenes for a long time, and I think that myself, Pospisil, Djokovic, we all wanted to do something like this," Kyrgios told Sky Sports as he prepares for the Miami Open.
"I know that myself and many other players aren't happy with the structures and everything that's going on in tennis at the moment."
In the official statement released by the PTPA, they listed multiple concerns, including the following:
Collusion to reduce competition
Fixing prize money and suppressing player earnings
Ranking points mandates
Forcing an unsustainable schedule
Disregard for players
Exploiting players financially
Violating privacy rights
"The lawsuits expose systemic abuse, anti-competitive practices, and a blatant disregard for player welfare that have persisted for decades," the PTPA said in a statement.
"The ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA operate as a cartel by implementing a number of draconian, interlocking anti-competitive restraints and abusive practices."
Despite his role as co-founder of the PTPA, Djokovic is not named in the lawsuit.
It continued to talk about privacy rights, stating: "Players are subjected to invasive searches of personal devices, random middle-of-the-night drug tests, and interrogations without legal representation."
"Tennis is broken," PTPA Executive Director Ahmad Nassar stated.
"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."
In a bid to defend themselves from scrutiny, the ATP published their own statement.
"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. Recent years have brought about transformative changes for players," it read.
"The introduction of a prize money formula, record-setting on-site prize money, and new and expanded Bonus Pools have contributed to a major increase in player compensation, up $70 million in the past five years. The introduction of annual, independent audits has given players full transparency over tournament financials at ATP events.
"ATP’s Baseline program has introduced minimum guaranteed income for the top 250-ranked singles players, providing unprecedented financial security in professional tennis.
"Contributions to the player pension fund have surged, while prize money at ATP Challenger Tour events has more than doubled, reinforcing ATP’s commitment to strengthening the player pathway."
Meanwhile, the WTA sent out their own message, providing clarity around the serious allegations raised by the PTPA.
"The PTPA's action is both regrettable and misguided, and we will defend our position vigorously in due course," the statement read.
"The WTA is a non-profit, membership organisation that exists to advance women's tennis on behalf of players, tournaments, and fans.
"WTA players, as equal members alongside tournaments, have an essential and influential voice in the governance of the WTA. Every decision taken at the WTA board level includes the input of players via their elected board representatives, and athletes receive substantial financial rewards and other benefits from participation in the WTA."
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