Michael Stich claims the PTPA is ‘hurting the sport’ with lawsuit as he responds to Patrick Mouratoglou
Former world No 2 and Wimbledon champion Michael Stich has criticised the PTPA after the organisation launched a controversial lawsuit against tennis’ governing bodies.
On Tuesday, the PTPA initiated a lawsuit against the ATP and WTA tours, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The organisation is a players’ union that was founded in 2020 by tennis legend Novak Djokovic and former Canadian pro Vasek Pospisil.
In a statement, the PTPA said: “The lawsuits expose systemic abuse, anti-competitive practices, and a blatant disregard for player welfare that have persisted for decades.
“The ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA operate as a cartel by implementing a number of draconian, interlocking anticompetitive restraints and abusive practices.”
The 163-page complaint was filed in the United States District Court in New York, where the PTPA is seeking a jury trial. Nick Kyrgios, Reilly Opelka and Sorana Cirstea are among the 12 current or former professional players listed as plaintiffs.
The PTPA has made the massive claim that the lawsuit has been “backed overwhelmingly by the top 250+ men’s and women’s players including a majority of the top 20 players.”
On LinkedIn, renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who currently works with Naomi Osaka, discussed revenue distribution in tennis as he addressed the PTPA’s lawsuit.
“The fight for fair revenue distribution in tennis is one of the topics highlighted by the legal action conducted by the PTPA,” the Frenchman wrote.
“As the PTPA’s recent legal action shakes up the tennis world, the core question remains: how can a global sport generating billions still leave so many of its athletes struggling to make a living?
“I do think that only about 100 men and 100 women earn enough to sustain themselves on tour, with a kind of regularity. Meanwhile, a player ranked 200 in the world (an elite athlete by any standard) often loses money just to compete. That’s not sustainable. In a sport as global and commercially powerful as tennis, the top 500 players in both men’s and women’s singles should be able to make a living.
“The revenue split is undeniably part of the issue. Right now, the numbers we are introduced to state that only 17% of the sport’s total revenue goes to the players.
“Compare that to other major sports, where athletes are said to receive between 30% and 50% — it’s clear tennis needs to catch up.
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“But it’s not just about increasing the share for players, it’s also about how that revenue gets distributed among them. The gap between the top stars and those ranked between 100 and 500 is massive.
“These players might not make it to the TV broadcasts, but they’re still dedicating their lives to the sport and competing at an incredible level. They deserve more than survival — they deserve stability.
“This isn’t about taking from the top players — it’s about creating a healthier, more sustainable ecosystem for the sport as a whole.”
In a reply to Mouratoglou’s post, Stich asserted that top players “have to give” in order for their lower-ranked colleagues to earn more as he expressed sadness over the PTPA’s approach.
“Dear Patrick, as a former player I can agree with some of the things you write,” the German said.
“I was on the Players’ Board in the 90s an we tried to get more share of the money. It is a constant process over the last 50 years.
“But no generation has made so much money as the current. Look at the prize money of top players singles and doubles. So it has to come from those players to support the rest as you write. They have to give. It’s not up to the system.
“As a promoter for the Hamburg tournament, I can tell you that is difficult to generate profit for such an event. And I believe there are many tournaments that are not getting rich doing it. But they love the sport and the environment.
“But top players [are] asking for guarantees that are not reasonable and that creates big problems for tournaments. So start by having a limit for guarantees. Then promoter could even raise prize money.
“But the players want all. More money, less obligations to play, no commitment to tournaments. They have to understand that the promoters give them jobs and are a valuable partner on tour.
“But in my ten years there was no discussion between players and tournaments. It’s all about expectation. The PTPA is hurting the sport with their move and it makes me very sad.”
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