The Skilled Tennis Gamers Affiliation has accused the ATP of making an attempt to coerce gamers and is searching for a court docket order barring such conduct.
The PTPA, a participant organisation co-founded by Novak Djokovic, launched authorized motion towards tennis’ governing our bodies, together with the ATP and WTA, earlier this week because it seems to be to drive radical adjustments to the way in which the game is run.
In response, the ATP accused the PTPA of selecting “division and distraction through misinformation over progress” and the disagreement ramped up on Saturday.
In a submit on the social media web site X, PTPA govt director Ahmad Nassar mentioned gamers had instructed the organisation that the ATP is “illegally threatening retaliation and attempting to coerce players”.
“It has to stop,” mentioned Nassar. “Final evening we filed a quick movement asking the US decide to ban all unlawful contact with gamers by the ATP or any defendant or co-conspirator.
“We have witnessed a doubling down on unlawful, coercive, schoolyard bully behaviour. Fortunately, these authorized issues is not going to be judged within the schoolyard. Or on X.
“This is precisely the sort of behaviour that forced us to file these global legal challenges in the first place. Tennis is a large international business and must start acting like one. That’s what the law requires, and what players and fans deserve.”
In response, an ATP spokesman instructed PA information company: “We are aware of the request for an additional court order being sought by the PTPA and refute its assertions.
“On the coronary heart of ATP is our dedication to gamers. As that is now a authorized matter, we’ve got no additional remark to make.”
Among the PTPA’s complaints are the suppression of competition between tournaments, which it says reduces prize money, a draconian ranking points system, an unsustainable schedule and financial exploitation of players.
It also accused the governing bodies of disregarding player welfare by forcing athletes to compete late at night and in extreme heat and branded anti-doping practices an invasion of privacy.
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