Alcaraz distances himself from PTPA lawsuit against tennis governing bodies
MIAMI: World number three Carlos Alcaraz has distanced himself from the class-action lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) against the sport’s governing bodies, saying he was unaware of it until he saw it on social media.
The PTPA, founded by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, accusing the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation, and International Tennis Integrity Agency of anti-competitive practices and neglecting player welfare. The 163-page document included a past quote from Alcaraz criticizing the busy tennis calendar.
“It was surprising for me because no one had told me about it,” Alcaraz said at the Miami Open. “Yesterday, I saw on social media that they put something I said in a press conference in the documents, and I wasn’t aware of it. I honestly don’t support that letter because I wasn’t aware of it.”
The ATP dismissed the PTPA’s claims, calling them a source of “division and distraction,” while the WTA described the lawsuit as “regrettable and misguided.” Pospisil, however, insisted that the PTPA had spoken to over 300 players and had significant backing.
Australian Nick Kyrgios, one of the 12 players named in the lawsuit, called it a “special moment” for players to have their voices heard. However, Alcaraz’s comments suggest that not all top players are on board with the legal action.(Reuters)
