Tennis’ civil war takes another twist as Novak Djokovic-led union accuses ATP of ‘coercive and threatening behaviour’ towards players

The war in tennis became even more uncivil on Saturday, as Novak Djokovic’s PTPA filed a court order accusing the ATP of ‘coercive and threatened behaviour’ towards players.

The organisation, co-founded by Djokovic in 2020, alleges that players in Miami have been confronted and urged to sign a pre-prepared statement condemning the lawsuit filed this week.

That lawsuit, from a small group of player plaintiffs and the PTPA union, accuses tennis’s governing bodies, including the ATP, of operating an anti-competitive and monopolistic cartel.

Amad Nassar, executive director of the PTPA, said on X: ‘Breathtaking,’ ‘astonishing,’ ‘blatant disregard for the law.’ That’s what our seasoned lawyers said when players told us how the ATP is illegally threatening retaliation and attempting to coerce players. In their place of work, no less. It has to stop.’

Meanwhile, on the tennis court, British No2 Jacob Fearnley was knocked out in the second round of the Miami Open by No1 seed Alexander Zverev. The big German landed 89 per cent of his first serves in a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

On Sunday, Emma Raducanu will take on American McCartney Kessler in the third round. The Miami Open is played at the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and Raducanu revealed that learning to throw an American football has been part of her preparation.

‘This week I have been trying to keep it more relaxed, not necessarily being in the zone 100 per cent of the time,’ she said. ‘Learning how to throw an American football has become my warmup.

‘My trainer (Yutaka Nakamura, of Japan) has been teaching me because he’s lived in America and knows how to throw it really well. I have just been working on tightening the spiral a little bit!’