"You know you f**ked up when even Carlos Alcaraz is mad" - Fans react to Spaniard 'distancing' himself from Novak Djokovic-led PTPA's lawsuit

Tennis fans reacted to Carlos Alcaraz "distancing" himself from the Novak Djokovic-led Professional Tennis Players Association's (PTPA) lawsuit. The PTPA filed a lawsuit against the tennis governing bodies - the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

The PTPA submitted legal documents to the United States District Court in New York, requesting a jury trial. The lawsuit highlights various grievances that several players have against the tennis governing bodies, such as scheduling, ranking systems, and control over image rights, among other issues.

Players like Nick Kyrgios and Reilly Opelka, among others, have signed the documents and the lawsuit has referenced comments made by players like Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, and Iga Swiatek during press conferences.

During a pre-tournament press conference ahead of the 2025 Miami Open, Carlos Alcaraz was asked about his thoughts on the Novak Djokovic-led PTPA's lawsuit. In response, the Spaniard expressed that the lawsuit was "surprising" and that he only learned about it through social media.

Alcaraz mentioned that while he agreed with some aspects of the lawsuit, there were parts he disagreed with. He also implied that he was not comfortable with his comments being included in the lawsuit without his consent, leading him to clarify that he does not "support" the legal action.

"Honestly, it was surprising for me, because nobody told me (anything) about it. So I just saw it on social media. Yesterday I saw in social media that there were statements...like they put something that I said in a press conference which I didn't know. There are some things that I agree (with). There are some other things that I (don’t) agree with. But the main thing here is that I am not supporting that. So that’s it," Carlos Alcaraz said.

In response to Carlos Alcaraz's stance, tennis fans showed support for him on social media, criticizing the PTPA's lawsuit and condemning the use of his comments without permission.

One fan stated that the PTPA should recognize the mistake they made by filing the lawsuit, as it has made Alcaraz "mad," something that rarely happens.

"You know you f*cked up when even Carlos is mad," a fan posted.

Comment byu/edotardy from discussion intennis

Another fan expressed their opinion that the PTPA may have "lost the plot" by filing the lawsuit, as several players, including Carlos Alcaraz, are choosing to "distance" themselves from it.

"When Carlos Alcaraz has to go on record saying, "I didn't even know about it," you've lost the plot. Stop calling this a player movement when even the players are distancing themselves from it," a fan wrote.

"It was insanely audacious for them to use quotes from Carlos, Iga and Coco without even letting them know let alone getting consent from them. I think that lawsuit opened THEM up to about a dozen possible lawsuits tbh 😭 😭 ," a fan posted.

"PTPA: We’ve spoken to over 300 players and gotten their support. And don’t worry, that includes top players! The most recognizable “top player” and current World Number 3: " a fan wrote.

Here are some other fan reactions:

"I dunno what other players have said about this, but that there's a player mentioned in it who literally didn't know about it until they saw it on social media says a lot about the impact of the PTPA," a fan posted.

"Carlos doesn’t want to be part of this clownery bless his heart," a fan wrote.

"Good for Carlos to stand up for himself! I mean if they wanted to convince top players to support this maybe they should’ve asked for their consent first to use their quotes, no way they’ll take this nicely," a fan posted.

Comment byu/edotardy from discussion intennis

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Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will begin their Miami Open 2025 campaign in the second round

Novak Djokovic (L) & Carlos Alcaraz (R) at the 2024 Paris Olympics [Image Source: Getty Images]

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have been seeded second and fourth, respectively, at the 2025 Miami Open. They will kick off their campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. Alcaraz will take on David Goffin in his opening match. Goffin earned his spot in the second round by defeating Aleksandar Vukic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.

Carlos Alcaraz and Goffin have faced each other twice on the ATP Tour, with each winning one match. Their most recent encounter was at the 2022 Astana Open, where the Belgian emerged victorious with a score of 7-5, 6-3. The winner of this second-round clash between Alcaraz and Goffin will advance to face either 31st seed Brandon Nakashima or Roberto Carballes Baena in the third round.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic will face Rinky Hijikata in his opening match at the Miami Open. Hijikata secured his spot in the second round by defeating Hamad Medjedovic 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in the first round. Djokovic and Hijikata have faced each other once on the ATP Tour, during the first round of the 2025 Brisbane International, where the former World No.1 emerged victorious with a score of 6-3, 6-3.

The winner of the second-round match between the 24-time Grand Slam champion and Hijikata will move on to face either 32nd seed Alex Michelsen or lucky loser Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the third round.