On Tuesday, Djokovic's PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association), a league of players, filed a lawsuit against the main tennis governing bodies, the ATP, WTA, ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) and ITF (International Tennis Federation). The move is in response to the "harsh" and restrictive practices of these organizations that impose unreasonable restraint on players.

Founded in 2019 by 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and Pospisil, the PTPA aims to "unite and mobilize tennis players to achieve transparency and fairness in the professional tennis world". The lawsuit highlights the main issues faced by players, such as economic exploitation and privacy violations.

In a press statement issued by the PTPA on March 18, 2025, it accused the governing bodies of operating "like a monopoly group" and establishing a "corrupt system." The Plaintiffs (PTPA) alleged that the Defendants (referring to the Governing Body) operated like a monopoly through a series of "severe, colluding anti-competitive restraints and abuses."

Executive director Ahmad Nassar noted that the system was "grossly unfair" and "has collapsed". In a press statement, he said: "The tennis system has collapsed. Behind the glossy façade advertised by the defendants, the players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talents, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety. ”

He also mentioned that they had tried to resolve the issue through dialogue, but the defense ignored it, so they had to take this historic legal action, "We have exhausted all possibilities for reform through dialogue, and the attitude of the governing body leaves us no choice but to pursue accountability through legal means." ”

Since its inception, the PTPA has played an important role in safeguarding the rights and interests of tennis players. Djokovic's PTPA recently announced that they would provide free legal aid to players, a move that comes after tennis stars Sinner and Swiatek have been embroiled in complex legal battles over doping allegations over the past year. The organization launched the Athlete Legal Advice and Equity Program (ACE Program) in January 2025.

The program is designed to provide free, top-tier legal advice to players facing complex legal challenges through partnerships with King & Spalding LLP and the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. The program was introduced to help players who may be in a situation similar to Sinner and Swiatek, but lack sufficient legal resources.

Tennis insider Jon Wertheim revealed that Djokovic's desire to keep his name out of the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) lawsuit is to avoid a personal aura that would affect the collective complaints filed by the players.

Although Djokovic is a representative of the group, he had hesitated to include his name in the lawsuit because he did not want the lawsuit to be reduced to a "direct confrontation" between two individuals, The Athletic reported, citing anonymous sources.

Watheim shared a snippet of the article on social platform X, which read: "Djokovic has considered whether to sign the lawsuit. He ultimately decided not to, supposedly to focus the operation on the player base, rather than evolving into a direct confrontation between the greatest male player in modern tennis history and the governing body. ”

Tennis stars Kyrgios, Postpisil and Kostya have all signed the lawsuit in support of the lawsuit.

In a statement released by the PTPA, they also revealed that they had tried to resolve the issue through internal consultations, but the governing body lacked cooperation. Ahmad Nassar, executive director of the PTPA, noted in an interview that the ATP and WTA bodies do not pay players for important positions on the advisory board. He stressed that tennis players do not really have a voice within the players' union and lack the support of the governing body.

He said: "The so-called players' union is really just 'illusory control'. When you're just an advisor, you don't really have control...... But the dedication of these players is incredible. Many people take this duty very seriously, however, they are not paid a penny, which takes up their time and training program, which is simply not fair. ”

It is worth mentioning that Novak Djokovic was the president of the ATP Players' Union from 2016 to 2020.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)