New York, Mar 19 (UNI) The players' union co-founded by Novak Djokovic has begun legal action against tennis' governing bodies, citing "anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare".
The Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) has filed papers at the United States District Court in New York, where it is seeking a jury trial, according to a BBC report.
The 163-page lawsuit, which has been seen by BBC Sport, says "professional tennis players are stuck in a rigged game" which gives them "limited control over their own careers and brands".
It criticises the schedule, ranking systems and control over image rights.
The complaint is being brought by the PTPA and 12 players - including Djokovic's co-founder Vasek Pospisil and Nick Kyrgios. The PTPA says it is acting "on behalf of the entire player population".
Formed in 2020, the PTPA wants to increase the power of the players, and reduce the control of the governing bodies.
The ATP Tour, the men's professional body, said it "strongly rejects the premise of the PTPA's claims", declaring the case to be "entirely without merit" and promising to "vigorously defend" its position.
In a statement,, external it accused the PTPA of having "consistently chosen division and distraction through misinformation over progress" and said the ATP "remains committed to working in the best interests of the game".
The WTA, which runs the women's tour, also said it will defend its position and said in a statement the legal action is "both regrettable and misguided".
It added: "Contesting this baseless legal case will divert time, attention, and resources from our core mission to the detriment of our players and the sport as a whole."
The lawsuit seeks an end to "monopolistic control" of the tennis tour, as well as financial compensation from the ATP, the WTA, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The organisation has also started legal proceedings in the UK and the EU to end what it considers the "unchecked authority of the sport's governing bodies".
"Tennis is broken," said Ahmad Nassar, the executive director of the PTPA, who told the BBC in October the organisation would have no qualms about going down this route.
"Fixing these systemic failures isn't about disrupting tennis - it's about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come."
The PTPA believes, external the governing bodies act as a "cartel" by forming agreements with tournaments that cap prize money and prevent potential competitors entering the market.
The union describes the ranking points system as "draconian" as it effectively forces a player to enter their tournaments in order to build a status and reputation as a professional.
The lawsuit also takes aim at an "unsustainable" schedule which runs for 11 months of the year, and can require players to compete in excessive heat or in the early hours of the morning.
It alleges players suffer serious wrist, elbow and shoulder injuries because the type of ball used changes regularly throughout the season - and that the governing bodies' control of image rights diverts money from players' pockets.
The ITIA is accused of a "gross invasion of privacy" for searching the phones of players under suspicion of corruption or doping offences.
The ATP Tour is staging 60 events across 29 countries this year, and also runs its own Challenger Tour. The ATP says it distributed $241.6m to players in 2023 through prize money, bonuses and retirement plan contributions.
The WTA, which is offering 51 tournaments across 26 countries this season, said it paid out record prize money of $221m in 2024. It has also just introduced paid maternity leave for the first time.
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