The Novak Djokovic-led Skilled Tennis Gamers’ Affiliation (PTPA) created a storm on Tuesday, submitting a lawsuit on the game’s governing our bodies. In a strongly worded assertion, the PTPA accused the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, ITF and the ITIA of making an ‘unfair’ system in tennis.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic speaks throughout a press convention.(AFP)
In a press release, Ahmad Nassar, govt director of the PTPA, mentioned, “Tennis is broken. Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardises 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.”
In the meantime in response, the ATP has additionally launched a press release, claiming that they’ve at all times labored for equality amongst gamers. “Since the inception of the ATP Tour in 1990, ATP has played a leading role in the global growth of men’s professional tennis. Throughout more than three decades, ATP’s 50-50 governance structure has ensured that players and tournaments have an equal voice in shaping the sport’s direction at the highest level”, the ATP mentioned.
The ATP assertion additionally added, “We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA’s claims, believe the case to be entirely without merit, and will vigorously defend our position. 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.”
In the meantime, the WTA additionally issued a response, and remarked in a press release, “The PTPA’s action is both regrettable and misguided, and we will defend our position vigorously in due course.”
The PTPA was arrange by Djokovic and Canadian Vasek Pospisil in 2020, and round 20 gamers are named within the assertion. The PTPA additionally accused the governing our bodies of colluding with defendants, fixing prize cash and suppressing participant earnings’ which has pressured an unsustainable schedule.