A working group of professional tennis players, led by the star from Serbia, Novak Djokovic, filed a lawsuit against the governing bodies of tennis due to systematic violations and anti-competitive practices, as well as obvious disregard for the welfare of players who have already played for decades. The league was created by Djokovic and Canadian Vasek Pospisil in 2021 with the aim of supporting and protecting professional tennis players.
The league also failed to achieve significant changes within the industry, and now it is turning to legal action against the International Association of Professional Tennis Players, the Women's Tennis Association, the International Tennis Federation, and the Compliance Office of the International Tennis Federation, responsible for the anti-doping control system in tennis. At the moment, 12 current and former players, including Djokovic, Pospisil, and Nik Kyrgios, participate as plaintiffs with the Working Group of Professional Tennis Players.
The statement from the Working Group of Professional Tennis Players states: "After years of useless efforts in reforming professional tennis, the Working Group of Professional Tennis Players is forced to take decisive legal action." The statement also specifies: "Today, the Working Group of Professional Tennis Players, from the names of more than 12 professional players and the entire tennis community, along with the renowned international law firm 'Will, Gotshal & Manges,' is preparing a series of lawsuits in the USA, Great Britain, and the European Union against the governing bodies of tennis, the International Association of Professional Tennis Players, the Women's Tennis Association, the International Tennis Federation, and the Compliance Office of the International Tennis Federation."
According to the statement, the court cases reveal systematic violations, anti-competitive practices, and obvious disregard for the welfare of players, who have served for decades.
The lawsuit is also based on the negligence of governing bodies regarding the welfare of players, forcing them to compete late at night and in high temperatures.
