After co-founding the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), it appears
Novak Djokovic and
Vasek Pospisil may not be on the same page regarding an ongoing PTPA lawsuit against tennis' governing bodies.
The PTPA was founded by both men in 2020, with the end goal being to create transparency and equity throughout professional tennis. However, in March 2025, the PTPA launched a lawsuit against the ATP and WTA tours, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), in which the governing bodies were branded a “cartel” and accused of implementing “anticompetitive restraints and abusive practices.”
Djokovic unclear on his status, Pospisil confused
Pospisil and Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios are among 11 current or former professional players listed as plaintiffs, while Djokovic chose not to be included.
"I really hope that all the governing bodies, including PTPA, will come together and solve these issues,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner told the media at Indian Wells last month. “This is a classic lawsuit, so lawyers to lawyers, type of situation. So to be quite frank with you, there are things that I agree with in the lawsuit, and then there are also things that I don’t agree with.
“I found that maybe some wording was quite strong in there, but I guess the legal team knows what they are doing and what kind of terminology they’re supposed to use in order to get the right effect."
In a subsequent court appearance regarding the PTPA, Pospisil was asked about his PTPA co-founder Djokovic saying he did not support parts of the lawsuit.
“I was surprised,” the Canadian told the court. “I don’t know why he said that… it was not in line with our previous conversations. He was very much part of the process, staying updated and involved through his agent, with plenty of time before the lawsuit was filed,” explained Pospisil.
“From my conversations with him, I believe his stance was that he didn’t want to make it about himself but rather about the broader group of players and the necessary changes in tennis.
“As a PTPA co-founder, he naturally played a role in the PTPA-led lawsuit, though he preferred to be involved from that angle vs. as a direct plaintiff. He had his reasons for this choice, but there’s no doubt he was fully aware of and supportive of the lawsuit."