‘Tennis is broken’: Players suing multiple organizations, alleging unfair practices

Vasek Pospisil of Canada plays a shot at the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Montreal, Wednesday, August 7, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Players filed multiple lawsuits Tuesday against the ATP, WTA and other professional bodies, alleging that “tennis is broken” due to unfair business practices.

The Professional Tennis Players Association and 22 players are accusing the ATP, WTA, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency of anticompetitive business practices, monopolizing pro tennis and systemic abuse.

“Tennis is broken,” PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar said in a statement. “Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety.”

Twelve players are named as plaintiffs in a 162-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York. They include PTPA co-founder Vasek Pospisil of Canada, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, Romania’s Sorana Cirstea and American Reilly Opelka.

According to a copy of the civil complaint obtained by ESPN, the plaintiffs accuse those organizations of working as a “cartel” and colluding to reduce competition and limit prize money.

“At some point we just felt as if we didn’t have another option,” Pospisil told ESPN. “We didn’t set out to create a player association to not affect major change. That’s always been the goal from the beginning, and we have to really consider all strategies and avenues to eventually accomplish that goal.”

Ten other plaintiffs are involved in lawsuits filed in the United Kingdom and European Union, including Americans Ingrid Neel and Christian Harrison and France’s Corentin Moutet.

The civil complaint in the U.S. demands a jury trial. Nassar said the goals of the legal actions include creating a more optimized schedule, increasing revenue sharing for the players and placing a greater emphasis on players' concerns.

The ATP and WTA both issued statements Tuesday.

“We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA’s claims, believe the case to be entirely without merit and will vigorously defend our position,” the ATP said.

“The PTPA’s action is both regrettable and misguided, and we will defend our position vigorously in due course,” the WTA said.

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