The tennis world is buzzing with controversy after the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA), co-founded by Novak Djokovic, dropped a lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies. The organization is taking legal action against the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation, and International Tennis Integrity Agency, accusing them of exploiting and silencing players through “illegal” and “abusive” practices. Reactions have been swift, with players taking sides on the matter. Now, an ATP legend has also entered the debate, sharing his strong disapproval of the PTPA’s approach.
The lawsuit claims that these governing bodies systematically underpay players, enforce an unsustainable schedule, and contribute to chronic injuries. It outright likened the tennis organizations to a “cartel.”
Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion, did not hold back in his criticism. Speaking on the “Becker Petkovic” podcast with Andrea Petkovic, he took aim at PTPA Executive Director Ahmad Nassar, questioning his authority to speak on the state of tennis. “I have been in the tennis business for 40 years. If that man were to walk past me right now, I wouldn’t even recognize him,” Becker said. “And he’s talking about my beloved sport, claiming that tennis is broken – really, what does this man think of himself?” The German tennis legend also stated, “If the top ten players were to support this unanimously, then fine. But if I don’t have anyone on board, I can’t take it seriously. I simply don’t understand the foundation, the language, and the manner in which this is being presented.”
Becker:
“I don’t understand the basis, the language, or the manner.”
He also questions the representativeness of the PTPA: “It’s a kind of players’ union, but not all players are represented – I find that questionable!”
This sounds downright stupid.
— C Kristjánsdóttir ● (@CristinaNcl) March 24, 2025
Becker’s skepticism was evident when he reacted to Nassar’s statement on X with a simple “Wow.” After Alcaraz voiced his disapproval, Becker doubled down and wrote, “Another Wow.”
And top players? Carlos Alcaraz has made it clear that he doesn’t support the lawsuit and he was not aware of his name being in the case. while Alexander Zverev believes players should work with the ATP to solve issues rather than taking legal action. Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff have chosen not to engage with the controversial lawsuit even though they have been named in the 163 long-paged case. Both the stars have stated that they had no prior knowledge of the lawsuit and have chosen to remain neutral.
One of the biggest twists in the saga? Djokovic himself is not part of the lawsuit.
Novak Djokovic not named as one of the plaintiffs in PTPA’s lawsuit
Despite co-founding the PTPA in 2020 alongside Vasek Pospisil, the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is not one of the 12 named plaintiffs. Other players, including Nick Kyrgios and Reilly Opelka, have attached their names to the legal battle, but Djokovic is keeping his distance.
“In general, I felt like I don’t need to sign the letter because I want other players to step up. I’ve been very active in tennis politics,” Djokovic explained at the Miami Open. “This is a classic lawsuit, so lawyers to lawyers, type of situation. So to be quite frank with you, there are things that I agree with in the lawsuit, and then there are also things that I don’t agree with. And I found that maybe some wording was quite strong in there, but I guess the legal team knows what they are doing and what kind of terminology they’re supposed to use in order to get the right effect.”
The ATP and WTA have not taken the lawsuit lightly, firmly dismissing the allegations. In a joint statement, both tours labeled the case “without merit” and “baseless.”
With key players taking different stances and Djokovic staying on the sidelines, the lawsuit has divided the sport. Will this legal battle change the landscape of tennis governance, or will it fizzle out as just another controversy? What do you think?
The post “I Can’t Take It Seriously”—ATP Legend Dismisses Novak Djokovic-Led PTPA Lawsuit as Controversy Heats Up appeared first on EssentiallySports.