"Novak Djokovic needs to straighten this mess out" - Fans slam Serb for 'hypocrisy' for sharing mixed feelings about PTPA lawsuit

Novak Djokovic has come under fire from tennis fans over his take on the PTPA's class action lawsuit against the ATP, the WTA, the ITF, and the ITIA. The Serb confessed during a recent press conference that there are parts of the lawsuit that he doesn't agree with, despite his role as a co-founder of the PTPA. The lawsuit seeks to address multiple issues in professional tennis, from players' compensation to scheduling and more.

At a pre-tournament press conference in the buildup to the 2025 Miami Open, the former No. 1 and 24-time Major winner told reporters that the PTPA doesn't intend to divide tennis through the lawsuit. He later shared mixed feelings about it, admitting that while he agrees with certain parts of it, he disagrees with certain other parts of it as well.

"I’ve never been a fan and supporter of division in our sport, but I’ve always fought for better representation and influence of and positioning of the players globally in our sport, which I think is still not where I think it should be, and where most of the players think it should be, not just in terms of prize money, but in terms of many other points that have been also stated in that document," Djokovic said.

"There are things that I agree with in the lawsuit, and then there are also things that I don’t agree with. And I found that maybe some wording was quite strong in there, but I guess the legal team knows what they are doing and what kind of terminology they’re supposed to use in order to get the right effect," he added later.

Several tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) lashed out at Novak Djokovic over his admission. Some suggested that the Serb was being hypocritical with his take.

"He needs to straighten this mess out. He has to know the reputation of his fan base. He needs to worry about his legacy. It’s not all about the game and this will tarnish him," a fan wrote.

"What hypocrisy. Djokovic founded the PTPA, now that there's pushback, he's suddenly distancing himself? Own your stance or don't start the fight," commented another.

"The very manifesto of PTPA had promised controversy and drama since the beginning. Hilarious how Djokovic has conveniently stepped back as soon as there was a whiff of them," another fan chimed in.

Others brought up Nick Kyrgios, one of the plaintiffs in the PTPA's class action lawsuit. In an interview with Sky Sports Tennis in the immediate aftermath of the news of the lawsuit becoming public, Kyrgios had claimed that the Serb was very much behind the idea of the lawsuit alongside fellow PTPA co-founder Vasek Pospisil. However, while Pospisil is also named in the list of plaintiffs, it doesn't feature the 24-time Grand Slam champion's name.

"What a joke. Djokovic founded the PTPA, Kyrgios openly said Djokovic was behind the lawsuit with Pospisil, and now he's distancing himself because there's pushback? Absolute circus. They're all over the place," opined one fan.

"So, according to Kyrgios, Novak was one of three main people responsible for the class action. Now, it hasn’t been so well-received, Djokovic is suddenly not in agreement with what’s in it…," another added.

"OMG! He is acting like he is not part of the lawsuit and he didn't initiate it, talked to the players in the locker rooms?!?! Mind-blowing stuff...seriously! He threw them under the bus. Nick said it was him, djoko, and the other psipsi guy," yet another fan weighed in.

Soon after the PTPA announced the class action lawsuit had been initiated, the ATP and the WTA delivered scathing reactions to the development.

ATP and WTA lashed out at Novak Djokovic-led PTPA over its class action lawsuit against them

Novak Djokovic during a pre-tournament press conference prior to the 2025 Miami Open (Source: Getty)

The ATP and the WTA released separate statements in response to the class action lawsuit brought against them by the Novak Djokovic-led PTPA. In the statement released by the ATP, the men's tennis governing body accused the PTPA of choosing "division and distraction through misinformation over progress". The ATP also defended its actions, claiming that it is focused on reforming tennis for the benefit of players.

"While ATP has remained focused on delivering reforms that benefit players at multiple levels, the PTPA has consistently chosen division and distraction through misinformation over progress. Five 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," part of the ATP's statement read.

The WTA also chimed in with a scathing statement of its own, as it called the class action lawsuit a "misguided" effort.

"The PTPA's action is both regrettable and misguided, and we will defend our position vigorously in due course," part of the WTA's statement read.

The PTPA continues to claim that it had reached out to many active players before deciding to file the lawsuit. However, ATP No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz disclosed during his 2025 Miami Open pre-tournament press conference that the PTPA had not reached out to him.

One of Alcaraz's quotes from last year has been cited by the PTPA as an example in its lengthy document to highlight the hectic scheduling of the tennis calendar. The Spaniard, though, insisted that despite agreeing with certain parts of the lawsuit, he would not be extending his support to it.

WTA stars Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have also spoken up about the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Ahmad Nassar, the PTPA's Executive Director, clapped back at the ATP after it issued its statement against the lawsuit, suggesting that the men's tennis governing body's "50-50 governance structure" is "illegal".