Professional tennis players file lawsuit against ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA: “The sport is in desperate need of transformation”

On Tuesday afternoon the Professional Tennis Players Association filed a law suit against the governing bodies of multiple tours and associations around the professional tennis world.

“Tennis is broken” says PTPA Exec. Director

After years of trying to reach an agreement in attempts to reform the game at a professional level, the PTPA, and more than a dozen players took action against Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Tuesday.

The lawsuit is said to represent top players and those in the lower ranks of pro tennis and the Executive Director of the PTPA was very direct in his words. “Tennis is broken,” said Ahmad Nassar. “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. 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.”

There have been ongoing discussions between players, the association of players and all four organizations, but the players patience has apparently ran out. The PTPA and players will be represented by Weil, Gotshal & Gages LLP which is an International law firm that are known protectors of the players when it comes to matters of safety, pay and working conditions.

Organizations implementing “abusive practices”

In a statement published by the PTPA players webpage, the lawsuit states the ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA are “implementing a number of draconian, interlocking anticompetitive restraints and abusive practices.”

Among the injustices the players and their association feel they suffer is collusion to reduce competition. The PTPA claims that “suppresses competition between and among tournaments” that could “provide players with increased earning opportunities.”

Money also came up in the lawsuit. The claim is that the tours and their event organizers “collude to cap prize money that tournaments award and limit players’ ability to earn money off the court,” while claiming the defendants reject offers from tournament owners to raise prize money. Meanwhile the lawsuit states tennis players are compensated just 17% of revenues while players in most of the other top sports around the world are paid anywhere from 35% to 50%.

Pospisil “fairness, safety and human rights” in question

There were also complaints about requirements for points rankings which keep players from earning their full potential, an unsustainable schedule which includes an 11 month calendar while many pay their way to tournaments around the world.

Related stories

TENNIS

Double standards add to Swiatek’s frustration

Athletics

Meet the ‘new’ Usain Bolt

One of the heads of this movement is the PTPA Co-Founder and Executive Committee Member, Vasek Pospisil. “This is not just about money—it’s about fairness, safety, and basic human dignity,” Closing his argument with a summary of the problems with past personal experiences.

“I’m one of the more fortunate players and I’ve still had to sleep in my car when traveling to matches early on in my career- imagine an NFL player being told that he had to sleep in his car at an away game. It’s absurd and would never happen, obviously. No other major sport treats its athletes this way. The governing bodies force us into unfair contracts, impose inhumane schedules, and punish us for speaking out. The legal actions taken today are about fixing tennis for today’s players and future generations. It’s time for accountability, real reform, and a system that protects and empowers players. All stakeholders deserve a sport that operates with fairness and integrity.”