Novak Djokovic breaks silence about PTPA’ lawsuit against tennis governing bodies

The tennis world was shaken when the PTPA filed legal action against several leading tennis governing bodies, including the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). As co-founder of the PTPA, Novak Djokovic publicly addressed the situation for the first time during a press conference at the Miami Open.

The lawsuit accuses the governing bodies of “monopolizing” professional tennis and “disregarding” players’ interests, claiming they operate “like a cartel.” Speaking candidly, Djokovic acknowledged the importance of addressing key issues raised by the lawsuit.

“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 said.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion admitted that while he agrees with some points raised in the lawsuit, he disagrees with others. “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,” he explained.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates his win against Rinky Hijikata of Australia during Day 4 of the Miami Open. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

“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”.

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Carlos Alcaraz sends a clear message to Novak Djokovic ahead of Miami Open debut

While players like Nick Kyrgios and Reilly Opelka voiced support for the PTPA’s lawsuit, others, like Carlos Alcaraz, made his stance clear in the decision not to back the organization.

Djokovic matches Nadal in Masters 1000 Wins

Novak Djokovic had a strong start at the Miami Open, securing a dominant victory over ATP No. 86 Rinky Hijikata. With this win, Djokovic tied Rafael Nadal as the all-time leader in match wins at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments with 410 victories.

“I was playing really well, at a very high level from the beginning,” said Djokovic. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do tactically. I played him in the first match of the season in Brisbane. So I think it was good to do some homework, look at those videos”. In the next round, Djokovic is set to face Argentine player Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

ATP Masters 1000 match win leaders

With Djokovic’s victory over Hijikata, the leaderboard for most match wins in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments now stands as follows: