The period between Indian Wells and the Miami Open usually makes for a few slow days between two of the three biggest North American tennis events. This year, the rhythms were a little different. On Tuesday, news came that the Professional Tennis Players Association filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, as well as in London and Brussels, against the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation and International Tennis Integrity Agency, essentially accusing them of anticompetitive practices. 

The PTPA is almost five years old, but this is its biggest salvo: A lawsuit filed in federal court that, in theory, could be a real disruptor to the tennis business model. The named plaintiffs include Vasek Pospisil—co-founder of the PTPA with Novak Djokovic—Nick Kyrgios and Reilly Opelka. The complaint is 163 pages long and makes a number of charges, most of them related to the distribution of prize money and the playing schedule set by the tours. 

On some level, this was a long time coming. The PTPA is well-funded, in part because of its association with billionaire Bill Ackman, and has made noise about causing the disruption. At the same time, you wonder if they won't run into some of the same hurdles that other attempts at player organization have met in the past. Most notably, as independent contractors, players are limited in how they can organize. 

The complaint contains a mix of theory and anecdote. Hard-core tennis fans, for example, will be interested to read about some of the pursuits of ranking points players are forced to go on. There are also some fundamental questions posed, including whether a tournament that wants to pay the players more than it’s required to is entitled to do that. What’s notable is some of the absences. Djokovic, who co-founded the PTPA, is conspicuously absent from the named plaintiffs. According to The Athletic, Djokovic thought about including his name but chose against it. It was also interesting that four majors (the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open) weren’t named as defendants. One would think that having access to their books via discovery would be a critical part of this lawsuit. This is a long way from being heard or settled. I am told the tours knew this was coming, though they did not have access to the specifics.   

“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 in a statement released on Tuesday. “ATP remains committed to working in the best interests of the game - towards continued growth, financial stability, and the best possible future for our players, tournaments, and fans.”

The WTA also released a statement, reading in part, “The PTPA’s action is both regrettable and misguided, and we will defend our position vigorously in due course.” 

There are questions about whether the players have the necessary unity to initiate a labor stoppage, which would really force some hands. But as more details come forward, at a minimum, this has added a wrinkle to what has already been a bit of a chaotic first three months of tennis in 2025.

Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Rodger Federer are no longer playing, and Djokovic has gone more than a year without a title, and he turns 38 in May. This is a new era in tennis, and this lawsuit solidifies that.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Novak Djokovic Co-Founded PTPA Files Lawsuit: What It Means for Tennis.