Tennis antitrust lawsuit explained: Why ATP, WTA and Grand Slam dismissal attempts failed

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) filed an antitrust lawsuit in March 2025 against tennis' governing bodies, including the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), and the four Grand Slam tournaments. The lawsuit, which alleged that the defendants and other tournament operators had entered into interlocking structures to suppress competition for professional tennis players' services, was brought by 15 current and former players, as well as the PTPA itself.

The PTPA, co-founded by 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in 2020, aimed to represent tennis players as a collective and bring about systemic change in the sport.

The lawsuit was initially dismissed, but a federal judge in New York ruled in October 2026 that the motions to dismiss the case by the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, the Grand Slam tournaments, and World Tennis (the former ITF) were not admissible. The judge found the claims plausible and denied the attempts to dismiss the case due to jurisdiction. This ruling means that the lawsuit will proceed, and the defendants must now consider whether to engage in settlements or proceed to discovery.

Djokovic's departure from the PTPA in December 2025 did not significantly impact the lawsuit's prospects, as the PTPA still aims to represent tennis players as a collective. The organization's lawsuit represents a class action, focusing on the collective rights of the top tennis players rather than any individual player. The defendants in the lawsuit include the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, the Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, US Open, Wimbledon), and the ITIA.