The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) is seeking a court order to prevent the ATP Tour from engaging in “inappropriate, forced or threatening communication” with players.
The association alleges that the ATP tried to pressure players to sign a pre-prepared statement that they had no prior knowledge of the legal action launched by the PTPA this week.
The union, co-founded by 24-time leading winner Novak Djokovic, cited “an explicit disregard for anti-competitive practices and player welfare” in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Djokovic is not one of the players listed as plaintiffs in official court documents, but was released at the Miami Open on Thursday, saying there are elements of the lawsuit he agrees to and there are things he won’t do.
Serbia went on to say: “We’ve seen some changes and there are still some fundamental changes, but we really hope that all the governing bodies, including the PTPA, come together and solve these issues.”
“On behalf of the entire player” PTPA is taking action against the men’s ATP Tour, the women’s WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation, and the International Tennis Integrity Agency of the US, UK and the European Union.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios is the most well-known player to be appointed plaintiff alongside PTPA.
In a paper filed Friday in the US District Court in New York, PTPA lawyers asked Judge Margaret Garnett to issue an order to prevent all four defendants from communicating with players about their involvement in the process.
The allegations accus the ATP of threatening to cut prize money, reduce pension contributions and offset legal costs arising from fighting lawsuits. It argues that this constitutes “surprising interference” with court jurisdiction.
