Calling the groups in charge of professional tennis 바카라a cartel,바카라 the players' association co-founded by Novak Djokovic filed an antitrust lawsuit against the women's and men's tours, the International Tennis Federation and the sport's integrity agency in federal court in New York. (More Sports News)
The suit by the Professional Tennis Players' Association says the organizations that run the sport hold 바카라complete control over the players' pay and working conditions바카라 and their setup constitutes 바카라textbook violations of state and federal law바카라 that 바카라immunize professional tennis from ordinary market forces and deny professional tennis players and other industry participants their right to fair competition.바카라
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and wants players to gain access to more earnings, arguing that the governing bodies that oversee the four Grand Slam tournaments 바카라 Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open 바카라 and other professional events 바카라cap the prize money tournaments award and limit players' ability to earn money off the court.바카라
On top of the case in U.S. District Court, the PTPA made filings with the European Commission in Brussels and the Competition Markets Authority in London.
바카라There is a complete and utter lack of competition that exists in professional tennis, and we believe by filing these actions, we will ultimately inject the kind of competition that will be fair to the players, to the fans and actually to the people (who) operate the system,바카라 said Jim Quinn, a lawyer working with the PTPA.
바카라It's going to require a restructuring,바카라 Quinn said.
The WTA Tour and ATP Tour issued separate statements Tuesday saying they would 바카라vigorously바카라 defend themselves.
The WTA said it has 바카라committed to a $400 million increase in player compensation바카라 in recent years and labeled the PTPA action a 바카라baseless legal case바카라 that is 바카라regrettable and misguided.바카라 The ATP touted a 바카라major increase in player compensation바카라 that created a jump of 바카라$70 million in the past five years,바카라 and called the PTPA's case 바카라entirely without merit.바카라
바카라The PTPA has consistently chosen division and distraction through misinformation over progress,바카라 the ATP's statement said. 바카라Five years on from its inception in 2020, the PTPA has struggled to establish a meaningful role in tennis, making its decision to pursue legal action at this juncture unsurprising.바카라
The International Tennis Integrity Agency 바카라 which investigates and adjudicates doping and corruption 바카라 said it noted the PTPA's action but did not offer any direct reaction to the case itself.
A spokesman said the ITF 바카라will take the appropriate time to consider our response.바카라
The PTPA was founded by 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil in August 2020, aiming to offer representation for players who are independent contractors in a largely individual sport. One of the goals made clear along the way was to become a sort of full-fledged union that negotiates collective bargaining agreements like those that exist in team sports.
바카라Beyond just the economics, we see ... player welfare is completely disregarded in everything, from the tour schedule to anti-competitive practices, to abusing our rights around name, image, likeness," Pospisil said.
He is one of the players listed as a plaintiff; Djokovic is not. Players whose names are attached to the U.S. lawsuit include 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, Sorana Cirstea, Varvara Gracheva, Reilly Opelka, Tennys Sandgren and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.
PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar said Djokovic is 바카라certainly very involved, very up to speed. He is still a sitting member of our executive committee at the PTPA. ... This is about much more than one player.바카라
The PTPA said it met with more than 250 players 바카라 women and men, and a majority of the top 20 in the WTA and ATP rankings 바카라 before going to court.
바카라We've seen the Grand Slams try to change some things unsuccessfully. We've seen the tours themselves try to change things unsuccessfully. We've seen outside money try to come in and change things unsuccessfully. And so we really think this is the only path forward, and we don't do this lightly, whatsoever."
Nassar said. "But we think it was necessary, because the players really do demand to be heard, to have their issues taken seriously, to address these structural issues that plague tennis and really choke it as an international sport, and to create a system that brings balance and equality and fairness to really the entire business of tennis.바카라
