Who are the ‘PTPA 12’ named in explosive lawsuit against ATP & WTA?
News of the Professional Tennis Players Association’s legal case against the ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA has rocked the sport since it was announced on Tuesday afternoon.
The lawsuit claims to have the backing of 300 players across the PTPA and wider ATP and WTA Tours, though 12 specific plaintiffs have been named in the legal documents released.
While PTPA co-founder Novak Djokovic is not among them, we take you through the 12 tennis stars helping to lead this potentially game-changing legal challenge.
Vasek Pospisil
Pospisil was a co-founder of the PTPA alongside Djokovic and has remained at the forefront of the organisation since its official launch in August 2020, remaining part of the executive committee.
On-court, the Canadian is best known for his doubles success, reaching a career-high of world No 4 and winning seven ATP titles – including Wimbledon in 2014.
Pospisil also reached the Wimbledon singles quarter-final in 2015 and reached a high of 25th in the ATP singles rankings.
The 34-year-old has confirmed that 2025 will be his final year as a professional tennis player, though he looks set to maintain a prominent position in the PTPA post-retirement.
Nick Kyrgios
A man who likely needs little introduction, Kyrgios has been among the first players named as a plaintiff in the case to speak publicly on the issue.
The Australian, a former singles world No 13 and 2022 Wimbledon finalist, spoke to Sky Sports on Tuesday just hours after the legal case was announced.
He said: “I know the players and myself aren’t happy with the structures and everything that is going on in tennis at the moment.
“There are over 100 pages of doctrine that people can read for more information. I don’t want to go into all the details but I’ve been as involved as I can be with everything I’ve got going on.
“This will be a special moment in tennis, for sure. Things needed to change. It’s a big day for tennis.”
Anastasia Rodionova
One of three retired players named as a plaintiff, Rodionova called time on her playing days in August 2023 following a career which lasted the best part of three decades.
Rodionova, who represented Russia until switching to Australian citizenship in 2009, was the winner of eight ITF singles titles and reached a high of world No 62 on the WTA singles rankings.
In doubles, she won 11 WTA titles and reached a high of world No 15, progressing to multiple women’s doubles Grand Slam quarter-finals – and the Wimbledon mixed doubles final in 2003.
Nicole Melichar-Martinez
One of the best active doubles players on the WTA Tour, American star Melichar-Martinez won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2018 – lifting the mixed doubles crown alongside Alexander Peya.
The former world No 6 was also a women’s doubles finalist at Wimbledon that year and at the US Open in 2020, alongside being an Australian Open and French Open semi-finalist.
Melichar-Martinez is the winner of 15 WTA doubles titles and is currently 19th in the WTA Rankings.
Zheng Saisai
Alongside Pospisil, Chinese WTA star Saisai is one of two players on the PTPA executive committee to be a lead plaintiff on the organisation’s case against the sport’s governing bodies.
A former world No 34 in singles, the 31-year-old claimed her sole WTA singles title at the Silicon Valley Classic in 2019, though is also the winner of six WTA doubles titles.
Saisai was a French Open women’s doubles finalist back in 2019 and has a doubles career-high ranking of world No 15.
Sorana Cirstea
Arguably the highest-profile WTA player named as a plaintiff, Cirstea has been a stalwart on the tour for almost two decades.
The Romanian has competed in the main draw of 63 Grand Slam events and is a former quarter-finalist at both the French Open and the US Open.
Cirstea has a career-high of world No 21 and is the winner of two WTA singles titles, alongside five WTA doubles titles.
“Players don’t have the luxury of waiting indefinitely for meaningful change,” said Cirstea.
“Despite repeatedly voicing concerns and speaking up, we have been met with empty promises. The current conditions—demanding schedules, financial uncertainty, and inadequate support—are unsustainable.”
John-Patrick Smith
Doubles specialist Smith won the Atlanta Open in 2018 alongside partner Nicholas Monroe and has reached a further four ATP doubles finals.
The Australian, who has a doubles high of world No 52 and a singles high of No 108, is currently ranked 66th in the world and is a two-time mixed doubles finalist at the Australian Open.
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Noah Rubin
The second of three retired players named as plaintiffs, US star Rubin called time on his playing career back in 2022 due to a long-term wrist injury.
Rubin had reached a singles high of world No 125, and a doubles career-high of world No 245.
Aldila Sutjiadi
One of the two WTA doubles specialists involved in the case, current world No 42 Sutjadi reached her doubles career-high of world No 26 back in October 2023.
The Indonesian is the winner of five WTA Tour doubles titles and three WTA challenger titles, and has been a mixed doubles semi-finalist at the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
Varvara Gracheva
Having initially represented Russia, 24-year-old Gracheva switched to French citizenship in June 2023 and has represented France ever since.
Gracheva is currently ranked 65th in the WTA singles rankings though peaked at a high of 39th in January 2024, and reached round four of the French Open last June.
Tennys Sandgren
The final retired player named as part of the PTPA’s case, former world No 41 Sandgren brought his playing career to an end in the closing stages of 2024.
US star Sandgren triumphed at the Auckland Open in 2019 and was also twice an Australian Open quarter-finalist, in 2018 and 2020.
Reilly Opelka
One of the biggest names featured as part of the case, US star Opelka reached his ATP Rankings singles high of world No 17 back in February 2022.
Opelka is the winner of four ATP titles and has reached a further three finals, though his career has been significantly affected by injury in recent years.
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