The tennis world was rocked last week when the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), co-founded by Novak Djokovic, took legal action against several of the sport’s most influential governing bodies, including the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). Amidst the controversy, tennis legend Boris Becker has voiced his criticism of the PTPA’s decision.
The lawsuit argues that these governing bodies are “monopolizing” professional tennis and “ignoring” the interests of players, accusing them of operating “like a cartel.” The 163-page complaint details claims of monopolistic behavior, systemic abuse, and the neglect of player welfare.
In a recent episode of his podcast with former German tennis star Andrea Petkovic, Becker took aim at Ahmad Nassar, the executive director of the PTPA, describing him as an outsider to the sport.
“I have been in the tennis business for 40 years,” Becker said. “If this man were to cross my path now, I wouldn’t recognize him. And he talks about my beloved sport of tennis and says tennis is broken – who does this man think he is?”
Ahmad Nassar speaks at the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) Players Party at SPiN New York. (Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
Becker questions the lack of top 10 players support
Becker also emphasized that the lawsuit could only be taken seriously if it had the unanimous support of the sport’s top players, particularly those in the top 10. Without their endorsement, Becker feels the effort is fundamentally flawed.
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“If the top 10 players were to support this unanimously, fine. If I don’t have them, then I can’t take the matter seriously,” Becker said. “I don’t understand the basis for it, the language, or the way of doing it”.
Djokovic shares his perspective on the PTPA lawsuit
Speaking candidly during a press conference at the Miami Open, Novak Djokovic addressed the key issues raised by the PTPA lawsuit. The 24-time Grand Slam champion emphasized the need for unity and collaboration in resolving longstanding issues within the sport.
“I’ve seen some changes, but there are some fundamental changes that are still yet to be made, and I really hope that all the governing bodies, including PTPA, will come together and solve these issues,” Djokovic stated.
Djokovic admitted that while he agrees with some aspects of the lawsuit, he doesn’t fully align with others. “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,” he explained.
The Serbian star reiterated his stance against division within the sport, while also stressing the need for better representation and advocacy for players on a global scale.
“I’ve never been a fan and supporter of division in our sport, but I’ve always fought for better representation and influence of, and positioning of, the players globally in our sport, which I think is still not where it should be and where most of the players think it should be,” Djokovic added. “(That’s) not just in terms of prize money, but in terms of many other points that have been also stated in that document”.
