PTPA maintains goal is to give all players a voice in tennis

The Professional Tennis Players Association addressed claims it “generates division” in an open letter sent to ATP and WTA players on Wednesday that was signed by the eight players who make up the organization’s executive committee, including co-founders Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil.

“Some have questioned the necessity of the PTPA, claiming that the tours are already working to address concerns related to player welfare, economic opportunities, and the structure of the sport,” the letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, said in part. “These efforts are necessary and appreciated. However, it is important to acknowledge that the tennis ecosystem has had decades to address these issues without a players association, and unfortunately, players and fans have been left behind when compared to their counterparts in other sports.”

In a recent interview, Bernabe Zapata Miralles, the world No. 42 and a member of the ATP Player Council, claimed the PTPA “generates division” and said he believes it’s “not positive.” However, PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar told ESPN the letter sent to players Wednesday was not prompted by anything specific.

“We thought it was important at this juncture for the board to make it clear that the PTPA is not another entity in the already-fragmented tennis environment,” Nassar said Wednesday. “With the four Grand Slams, the two tours and the ITF, we want to remind players that we are something different. We overlay all of those entities because at the heart of tennis are the players. In tennis, the players have never had one entity that even attempts to speak on their behalf. … And so what we’re trying to do is to provide another avenue for players to make their voices be heard.”

Pospisil, the 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion who co-founded the organization with Djokovic in 2020, told ESPN in a separate interview Wednesday he personally has spoken with “300 to 400 players” over the past few years in an effort to educate them on the group’s mission, as well as garner their support and hear their concerns.

The PTPA is not a union — tennis players are independent contractors and not employees of the ATP and WTA — but Pospisil, Djokovic and Nassar have repeatedly said its goal is to represent and protect the interest of the players in a way similar to how unions operate for professional leagues like the NBA or NFL, including trying to secure a higher percentage of revenue for players at tournaments and…