Australian player’s blood test raised in explosive tennis legal action

Australian tennis player John-Patrick Smith was forced to have “a copious amount of his blood” drawn on the eve of an Australian Open match, it has been revealed in an explosive legal action launched by players, including Nick Kyrgios, against tennis’ controlling bodies.

The Professional Tennis Players Association, which was co-founded by 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, has lodged lawsuits accusing the sport’s authorities of operating like an illegal cartel that colluded to suppress player earnings and disregarded player welfare.

John-Patrick Smith with doubles partner Kim Birrell. Credit: Eddie Jim

Smith, a doubles specialist who was a finalist in this year’s Australian Open mixed doubles event with compatriot Kimberly Birrell, is one of three individually named Australian plaintiffs in a US class action with Kyrgios and Anastasia Rodionova.

The 36-year-old is also used as a case study in documents filed with the US District Court Southern District of New York, with his globetrotting season in 2024 detailed to demonstrate a gruelling and unsustainable schedule faced by players.

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