One down, three to go: Australian Tennis reaches settlement with players while other three major tournaments stand their ground

Over the past months, the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) have been going at the global tennis governing bodies (ATP, WTA, ITF, ITIA) as well as the Grand Slams. After filing a lawsuit back in March, there has been a period without progress, until now when one of the four Grand Slams has reached an agreement. 

According to the New York Times, Tennis Australia, which operates the Australian Open, “are working together to memorialise the terms” of a settlement which will likely be agreed by early 2026. It is a big step in the right direction for the PTPA, who continue their legal battle.

On the same day, the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open filed a new joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The French Tennis Federation and All England Lawn Tennis Club filed a separate motion arguing that a U.S. court does not have jurisdiction over them, while the U.S. Tennis Association filed to compel arbitration with some of the players named in the suit.

The PTPA executive director, Ahmad Nassar, said through a text message that “everyone would make more effort to resolve these matters for the benefit of players, fans, and tournaments alike as soon as possible.”

The ATP and WTA have also waved off these claims. The other two defendants have filed a motion to dismiss it earlier this year, with the ATP calling it 'entirely without merit' while the WTA labelled it as 'baseless.'

While the foundations of tennis have been discussed, the players are also having their say, driving the force for more prize money in the sport, especially lower down the ranks. Some of the biggest players in the world have argued that the Grand Slams should offer more revenue throughout the ranks, as well as pension contributes. There is a lot of money on offer in the sport, with the top players wanting it to be filtered down.

This would essentially bring tennis more in line with other sports leagues that have collective bargaining agreements. This is different for tennis, who are essentially independent contractors and do not have teams able to manoeuvre on their behalf, contrasting to these other sports leagues. 

This lets them choose what tournaments they compete at in the year, but with some tournaments lengthening and entry rules not to the liking, more discontent has grown. For example, many of the Masters 1000 tournaments have been extended up to 96 players which last over two weeks. It is great for the fans, who get to watch more tennis with the biggest players at the world ferociously competing for the biggest prizes. For the players, however, it is becoming too much, especially when throwing in mandatory tournaments. There is a certain number of events that players have to participate in to get significant financial bonuses.

Some of the bets players in the world ranging from Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz have all come out publicly and shared their unhinged feelings about this. It seems that these debates will go on long into 2026 and possibly even further with there no hint of a breakthrough. The only one on board, Tennis Australia, will soon host the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne. The Australian Open will take place from January 18 - February 1.