The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) has filed documents in the United States District Court in New York, requesting a jury trial.
The 163-page lawsuit, reviewed by BBC Sport, claims that “professional tennis players are stuck in a rigged game” with “limited control over their own careers and brands”.
The lawsuit criticizes the scheduling, ranking algorithms, and control of image rights.
The PTPA and 12 players, including Djokovic, co-founder Vasek Pospisil, and Nick Kyrgios, are filing the complaint “on behalf of the entire player population”.
The PTPA was founded in 2020 with the goal of increasing player power while reducing governing body influence.
The complaint demands an end to “monopolistic control” of the tennis circuit, as well as financial compensation from the men’s ATP, women’s WTA, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The organization has also initiated legal procedures in the United Kingdom and the European Union to stop what it perceives to be the “unchecked authority of the sport’s governing bodies”.
The union calls the ranking points system “draconian” because it basically forces a player to compete in their tournaments in order to establish a professional status and reputation.
