Martyn Herman in LONDON – The Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) has filed a lawsuit against the sport's governing bodies, accusing them of anti-competitive practices and a disregard for player welfare.

The PTPA, an independent players' union co-founded by Novak Djokovic in 2019, said on Tuesday that after years of good-faith efforts to reform professional tennis, it had been forced to take legal action to end "monopolistic control" of the sport.

In a statement, it said that along with more than a dozen players the PTPA had filed papers in a New York court against the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

"Tennis is broken," Ahmad Nassar, Executive Director of the PTPA, said in a statement. "Behind the glamorous veneer that the Defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety.

"We have exhausted all options for reform through dialogue, and the governing bodies have left us no choice but to seek accountability through the courts. Fixing these systemic failures isn't about disrupting tennis, it's about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come."

In response the ATP accused the PTPA of choosing "division and distraction" and having no meaningful role in the sport.

"We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA's claims, believe the case to be entirely without merit, and will vigorously defend our position," the ATP said in a statement.

"ATP remains committed to working in the best interests of the game – towards continued growth, financial stability, and the best possible future for players, tournaments, and fans."

The WTA defended its record of growing women's tennis, describing the lawsuit as "baseless".

"Every decision taken at the WTA Board level includes the input of players via their elected Board representatives, and athletes receive substantial financial rewards and other benefits from participation in the WTA," the organisation said.

The ITF stressed its goal is to ensure the growth of tennis as a global sport.

"As a not for profit organisation and global guardian of the game ... we reinvest 90% of our income into the global development of the game, via our 213 member National Associations," an ITF spokesperson said.

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Professional Tennis Players' Association takes legal action against ATP and WTA over player welfare