In 2020, Novak Djokovic had a vision. He helped launch the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) to give players a voice in a sport where they compete as independent contractors and, many believed, too often without adequate representation. It was meant to be a movement that would challenge the status quo and improve player welfare. That is why Djokovic’s eventual decision to step away felt so unexpected. But if that raised eyebrows, the recent allegations surrounding the organization have shaken the very foundation on which it was built.
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Here is what happened: the PTPA has threatened a defamation lawsuit against Andy Roddick’s podcast, Served, over its reporting on the organization. The issue revolves around allegations of double-dealing within the PTPA and by the FBI investigation into the PTPA and its financial backer, Winners Alliance, raised by former long-time Sports Illustrated reporter Tim Rohan. So, on January 7, the PTPA hired Clare Locke, an aggressive defamation law firm known for its aggressive strategy against media outlets, to send a letter to Served‘s attorney.
“Mr. Rohan has caused my clients irreparable damage by spreading false and defamatory claims that Mr. Nassar, PTPA, and Winners Alliance are engaged in misconduct during his reporting,” Locke wrote, referring to PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar. “These false claims directly caused Novak Djokovic’s abrupt and highly damaging departure from PTPA.”
In that letter, attorney Elizabeth Locke made a direct connection between Rohan’s reporting and Novak Djokovic leaving PTPA as a co-founder.
“Served‘s continued refusal to provide a meaningful opportunity to comment on the factual allegations that will be included in any eventual story will cause even greater damage to my clients and is evidence of Served‘s actual malice.”
Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil established PTPA as an independent organisation to provide players with more collective voice on matters such as scheduling, prize money, sponsorships, and healthcare. Those were areas that ATP and WTA have been historically found difficult to resolve, structured in a way with both players and management having equal stakes. In March 2025, the organization filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against tennis’ governing bodies.
Djokovic refused to stand as a plaintiff in that action, and in early January this year, he resigned from PTPA altogether, reportedly even without the knowledge of those close to the group. In his own statement at the time, the Serbian wrote:
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step away completely from the Professional Tennis Players Association. This decision comes after ongoing concerns regarding transparency, governance, and the way my voice and image have been represented.”
“I am proud of the vision that Vasek and I shared when founding the PTPA, giving players a stronger, independent voice – but it has become clear that my values and approach are no longer aligned with the current direction of the organization.”
What did Andy Roddick have to say about the situation?
As per reports, a representative for the podcast mentioned that Roddick could not comment about the situation. They have not done a story about it on the podcast as well.
The letter to Served followed just three days after that statement, and referenced an earlier January 2 letter that had already demanded the podcast preserve any material related to the matter: a standard legal step known as a litigation hold. Roddick commented on the situation in public following Djokovic’s withdrawal and said:
“That this does not feel like a story that will go away quickly. You know it’s a big story when you have 25 friends, of which eight actually care about tennis, texting you.”
Locke’s letter characterized those comments as a product of what she described as false claims and implications spread through Served‘s reporting up to that point.
Internal disputes at the PTPA grow
The attack on Roddick’s podcast comes as part of an internal and wider conflict that is presently toppling the organization. Nassar, who is a member of both the PTPA and Winners Alliance, resigned from his role as executive director of the PTPA in March, a job that has featured prominently in the double-dealing charges brought in Locke’s letter.
In a separate case, PTPA and Winners Alliance brought a federal case against Wajid Syed Mir, the former general counsel of the PTPA. Mir has said he was preparing to investigate alleged conflicts of interest involving Nassar and Pospisil at the time he was dismissed, a claim the PTPA entity currently in control of the organization disputes, maintaining Mir was let go for cause and that no evidence of conflicts of interest exists.
Another faction of players, claiming to be the true PTPA leaders, is suing Winners Alliance, Nassar and other players in Washington, D.C. Superior Court for the same reason. Clare Locke has also sent a separate letter to Mir, dated June 10, accusing him of defaming the PTPA, Winners Alliance and Nassar, and alleging that he communicated with Served’s reporters without the knowledge of the organization’s Executive Committee.
That letter also mentioned two anonymous X accounts, saying Locke’s firm was looking into the connection of Mir to the statements made through these X accounts. The battles over the PTPA’s internal management and its connection with Winners Alliance are far from being resolved any time soon, as several legal actions have been filed in various courts.
Marquis Klemp
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