Carlos Alcaraz is usually one of the happiest personalities on the ATP Tour, but the Spaniard seemed irritated when he revealed he had been told nothing about the Professional Tennis Players’ Association’s (PTPA) lawsuit against the ATP, WTA, ITF, and the ITIA.
The PTPA caused a stir with its lawsuit. It claimed to be taking the action for several reasons, including the ATP and WTA not distributing prize money fairly, injuries from different balls being used, and the ITIA doing random drug tests and confiscating players’ phones, creating privacy issues.
Only 12 players signed the lawsuit, and Novak Djokovic, co-founder of the PTPA, elected not to. Despite this, fellow co-founder Vasek Pospisil claimed they had the support of most players, including those at the top.
However, Alcaraz’s comments in a press conference ahead of the 2025 Miami Open seem to contradict this. The four-time Grand Slam champion said he was never told about it and sounded unhappy that a statement he made in a press conference last year was put in the lawsuit.
“Honestly, it was surprising for me, because honestly no one told me about it. Yesterday, I saw in social media that there were statements… Like they put something I said in a press conference, which I didn’t know.”
Although Alcaraz said he agrees with some parts of the lawsuit, the 21-year-old made it abundantly clear that he does not support the action itself, particularly because no one consulted him beforehand.
“Honestly, I don’t support that letter… I don’t support it because I didn’t know anything about it. There are some things that I agree with, there are some things that I don’t agree with. The main thing is that I’m not supporting that.”
Alcaraz, arguably the most popular tennis player in the world right now because of his unique and electrifying playing style that fans love, not supporting the legal action is a blow to the reputation of the PTPA.
It remains to be seen how several other players react to the lawsuit. Many of the other top players might have been briefed about the lawsuit, but it is hard to understand why the PTPA took legal action without mentioning the plan to one of the sport’s most significant stars.
The PTPA should probably transparently answer how many of the players actually knew what was happening. Pospisil’s claim that the PTPA talked to the top players was vague, and Alcaraz’s revelation casts doubt on the Canadian’s words.
Unsurprisingly, the ATP and WTA responded robustly to the lawsuit. The ATP derided the PTPA for failing to find any meaningful position in tennis and argued that its action was a desperate attempt to be relevant.
Although the WTA’s statement was not as stinging, it still strongly defended its track record, mentioning the increase in global revenue and the recent maternity leave scheme that was launched for mothers.
More reactions to the lawsuit will undoubtedly come, but Alcaraz’s blunt reaction and the lack of communication surrounding it will not help the PTPA rally support.
