Four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz has distanced himself from a class action lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) against the sport’s governing bodies, saying the move surprised him.
The Professional Tennis Players Association, which was founded in 2021 by Serbian Novak Djokovic and Canadian Vasek Pospisil, said it had initiated legal action against the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Tennis Integrity Agency, which oversees anti-doping rules.
The lawsuit names 12 former and current players, including Djokovic, Pospisil and Australian Nick Kyrgios, as plaintiffs, along with the Professional Tennis Players Association. The lawsuit seeks greater support and protection for professional tennis players.
The report also alleges that governing bodies are neglecting the well-being of players, and one section of the 163-page document includes a quote from Carlos Alcaraz criticizing the busy tennis schedule last September.
“It was surprising to me because nobody had told me about it. Yesterday I saw on social media that they had put something in the documents that I had said in a press conference and I didn’t know about it. To be honest, I don’t support this letter because I didn’t know anything”, said Carlos Alcaraz ahead of the ATP 1000 Masters Miami.
The ATP has rejected the PTPA’s allegations, while the WTA has described the case as “deplorable and wrong”.
Vasek Pospisil said the PTPA had spoken to more than 300 players and had a lot of support, including from the world’s best.
Australian Nick Kyrgios, one of 12 current and former players named as plaintiffs alongside the PTPA in the case, which will be heard in New York, said it was a “special moment” and it was high time the players’ voices were heard.
“There are things I agree with and things I don’t agree with. Anyway, the bottom line is I don’t support this”, finished Carlos Alcaraz.
