Major tennis split looms as PTPA shops rival circuit

A LIV golf-style split could be on the horizon for tennis as the breakaway PTPA player association and their lawyers shop for an alternative professional tour to corporate financial moneymen.

The revelation by British media comes as the Australian Open reaches the halfway point, with Melbourne officials said to be all in on the rival Pinnacle tour which would include both men and women.

The professional Tennis Players Association came to life five years ago, started by  Novak Djokovic and now-retired Canadian Vasek Pospisil.

But the Serb, who has reached the fourth round of the Open, disassociated himself from the effort in recent months due to a conflict of goals and philosophy.

The PTPA plans being presented to an array of deep-pocketed corporate entities includes massive reforms as detailed by London’s Telegraph:

– A three-tier system topped by a “Pinnacle Tour”- Top players need play only 16 weeks per season.

– Prize money increases by 60 per cent, with equality for men and women by Year 3.

– Top 100 players to be guaranteed $1m Year 1 and $2.3m within a decade.

– Unified governance instead of the current ATP and WTA patchwork.

With Australian Open officials supporting the wholesale makeover, the other three Grand Slams are reported to be steaming, with the French federation said to have cancelled the usual Melbourne courtesy visit by its delegation this coming week. 

The moves afoot combined with insistent reports that Australian Open TD Craig Tiley is ready to move on after two decades with the sanctioning body after growing the Open into a money-spinning juggernaut opens a fresh can of worms for the sport.

PTPA lawyers are hoping to entice corporate behemoths to invest up to USD 1 billion to kick-start the breakaway. A lawsuit brought in New York last March by the PTPA seeks to portray the current ATP and WTA set-ups an “anti-competitive cartel.” 

Now, the four Grand Slams are also in the line of fire, with Tennis Australia apparently defecting to the “rebel” camp. TA will reportedly allow PTPA lawyers to inspect the books with the promise not to include the body in any further legal actions.

Main photo:- Novak Djokovic has disassociated himself from the PTPA he founded with Vasek Posposil – by ISF Ltd