Shocking Revelation: Carlos Alcaraz Claims Unawareness of Explosive Lawsuit Mentioning Him

Four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz was taken by surprise upon learning about a class-action lawsuit lodged in a US federal court against several governing bodies of tennis. He confirmed that he does not endorse the initiative put forth by the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA), an organisation co-founded by Novak Djokovic.

“There are some elements I agree with, and others I do not,” Alcaraz stated regarding the antitrust case during a pre-tournament media conference for the Miami Open, where he is set to compete as the second seed.

“However, the bottom line is that I am not in support of this. That’s all there is to it.”

The PTPA, claiming the support of over 250 players, filed their lawsuit in New York on Wednesday (Australian time) and has also taken action in Brussels and London, accusing the sport’s governing bodies—including the women’s (WTA) and men’s (ATP) tours, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the agency that manages anti-doping and anti-corruption measures (ITIA)—of being a “cartel”.

“Honestly, it was a surprise for me because nobody mentioned anything about it to me,” Alcaraz remarked. “I just came across it on social media.”

Like some of his fellow athletes, Alcaraz’s comments were referenced in the extensive, over 150-page legal filing—something that also caught the 21-year-old Spaniard off guard.

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In the document, specifically on page 71, under a section discussing the challenging schedules within professional tennis, star players Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek are mentioned. It includes the line: “Carlos Alcaraz expressed concern regarding the Tours’ schedule, remarking that the Governing Body Defendants ‘are going to kill (players) in some way.'”

This remark stemmed from comments made by Alcaraz following a match at the Laver Cup event last September, as noted in a transcript of his press conference there.

“Many players want to play more, or even more than that. A lot of players believe that the current calendar is fine. Yet, others say it’s really congested and there are numerous tournaments throughout the year,” he commented regarding the 2024 season.

“I’m one of those players who feels there are too many tournaments in a year, with various mandatory events, and it’s likely there will be even more tournaments and mandatory commitments over the coming years. So, in that sense, they might end up wearing us out in some way.”

The transcript noted that he was smiling at the conclusion of this remark.

“I noticed that there were some statements where they included something I said in the press conference, of which I was unaware. I don’t support that letter; I wasn’t informed about it,” he added.

The PTPA lawsuit brings forth several allegations against the tennis governing bodies, including restrictions on the prize money each tournament can present, hindering competition with rival tours or events, a ranking system that limits which competitions athletes can enter, and a “heavy-handed approach” by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, which the lawsuit described as “arbitrary and selective.”