A Vernon tennis player is part of a massive lawsuit that alleges "cartel" like practices from tennis governing bodies.

Vasek Pospisil is an executive committee member of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). He, along with 11 other tennis players (including Nick Kyrgios and Sorana C卯rstea), has filed a lawsuit against the four major global 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).

Today marks a pivotal moment in the battle for fairness and integrity in tennis. I take pride in standing alongside a group of fellow players, both men and women, as one of the named plaintiffs in a comprehensive lawsuit targeting the ATP and WTA Tours, the ITIA, and the ITF. The鈥�

鈥� Vasek Pospisil (@VasekPospisil)

The PTPA, created in 2020 as a global union for tennis players, has alleged that the governing bodies have systemically suppressed competition, manipulated prize money structures and imposed resource ranking systems that prevent players from seeking alternative earnings.

The 163-page lawsuit also alleges that "the ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA operate as a cartel by implementing a number of draconian, interlocking anticompetitive restraints and abusive practices."

鈥淭ennis is broken,鈥� said Ahmad Nassar, executive director of the PTPA. 鈥淏ehind 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鈥檛 about disrupting tennis鈥攊t鈥檚 about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come."

Since the filing, the ATP has released a statement denouncing the PTPA.

"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," The ATP said. "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."

The WTA also released a statement, calling the lawsuit "regrettable and misguided."

The 34-year-old Pospisil has been an outspoken advocate for players for years and was instrumental in forming the PTPA in 2020. The Vernon native retired from Davis Cup action in late 2024 and is currently ranked 833rd worldwide.