Novak Djokovic’s Tennis Professionals Union Takes Legal Action Against Global Authorities

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), co-founded by Novak Djokovic, has filed a lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies, accusing them of anti-competitive practices and neglecting player welfare. The battle in the global tennis arena is just beginning! PTPA announced that after years of good-faith efforts to reform the sport, they were forced to take legal action against administrative bodies. The informal union created in 2019 by ‘Nole’ alongside Canadian Vasek Pospisil to represent players ranked in the top 500 globally declared its decision to file notices against tennis authorities, a move expected to shake things up significantly. The recipients of these notices include ATP for men, WTA for women, International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). The rationale behind this decision is to combat the ‘corrupt, illegal, and abusive system’ that operates against players. Notices were simultaneously submitted in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. ‘Players demand the same rights, protections, and fair treatment that athletes in other major sports like NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, NWSL, international football, and cricket have fought for and won,’ stated a PTPA press release announcing the lawsuit. The complaint asserts that ATP and WTA Tours engage in price-fixing, dictating the compensation professional tennis players can earn from their events while halting competitive tournaments, restricting penalties and licenses. ‘The defendants do this by limiting tournament prize money and restricting players’ ability to earn money off-court,’ the lawsuit claims. ‘Instead of being determined by market forces, player earnings are subject to restrictions agreed upon by the defendants and their co-conspirators.’ The ranking system is also central to the lawsuit, stating it dictates which tournaments players can compete in, how much compensation they earn, and whether they receive certain award opportunities. Defendants only assign ranking points if players compete in tournaments produced by their co-conspirators. This marks the first historical intervention by players, with Novak Djokovic, the tennis star with the most Grand Slam titles in history, leading the charge.