Former Vernon tennis pro Vasek Pospisil part of lawsuit against global tennis organizations

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Former Vernon tennis professional Vasek Pospisil is instrumental in a lawsuit taking on the governing bodies of tennis.

Pospisil is an executive committee member of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) which is part of a lawsuit against four world tennis organizations: the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

Pospisil is listed as a plaintiff along with 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, Sorana Cirstea, Varvara Gracheva, Reilly Opelka, Tennys Sandgren and others.

“The time has come to demand accountability from these organizations and their complicit partners for decades of illegal practices, systemic player abuse, and exploitation that have tarnished our sport,” Pospisil posted on X.

“For the past few years, the PTPA, an organization I've worked on tirelessly since its inception, has made countless efforts to collaborate with the tours in hopes of achieving positive change for players. Despite these efforts and attempts to engage in constructive dialogue, we were met with resistance and a lack of meaningful action. It is because of this ongoing disregard for players that we were left with no alternative but to take action of our own.”

Pospisil, who was instrumental in the formation of the PTPA, claimed “players have been forced to accept a broken system that ignores our well-being, undervalues our contributions, and leaves us without real representation.”

The PTPA alleges there was collusion to reduce competition, fixing prize money and suppressing player earnings, forcing an unsustainable schedule, exploiting players financially and other charges.

In response to the lawsuit, the ATP said on its website, “We strongly reject the premise of the PTPA’s claims, believe the case to be entirely without merit, and will vigorously defend our position. ATP remains committed to working in the best interests of the game – towards continued growth, financial stability, and the best possible future for our players, tournaments and fans.”

“Tennis is broken,” said Ahmad Nassar, executive director of the PTPA. “Behind the glamorous veneer that the Defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety. We have exhausted all options for reform through dialogue, and the governing bodies have left us no choice but to seek accountability through the courts. Fixing these systemic failures isn’t about disrupting tennis—it’s about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come.”

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

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