From the esteemed Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, a voice of profound experience emerged. Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams to win 10 Grand Slams, pierced through the veneer of glamour in 2020. He declared, “Players ranked outside the top 100 are barely breaking even.” He said, “Most of them are forced to fund their careers to keep playing professionally.” This stark reality was witnessed firsthand by the coach of champions and ignited a fire that continues to burn. By March 2025, the PTPA echoed this truth and recognized Mourtoglou’s reiteration of the same!

For the unversed, the Novak Djokovic-led organization, the PTPA, took a bold step and launched legal action against the sport’s main governing bodies. The organization, co-founded by Djokovic, is challenging what it calls anti-competitive practices and a massive pay gap in tennis. Their 163-page complaint, supported by 12 current and former pros like Nick Kyrgios, Reilly Opelka, and Sorana Cirstea, claims that the system is rigged against players, especially those outside the top ranks, making it nearly impossible for many to earn a living from the sport.

On April 1, Mouratoglou posted a video on Instagram, highlighting the harsh realities faced by lower-ranked players. He didn’t mince words, saying, “There are not enough players who can live out of tennis. That’s the first thing and it’s something that I’ve said many times in the past. It’s not normal that only 100 men and 100 women can live out of tennis, and that a player who is 200 in the world losing money to play tennis.”

On April 16, the PTPA’s official X account amped up the conversation by reposting Patrick Mouratoglou’s words, declaring, “Coach Patrick Mouratoglou agrees. Professional tennis needs reform now.” One fan, clearly not Mouratoglou’s biggest supporter, chimed in under the PTPA’s tweet: “I don’t like him, but…. he is right!” The honesty was hard to miss—and so was the back-and-forth that followed. Patrick didn’t let the comment slide. With his trademark wit, he fired back, “I don’t like you either but yes, I am right.”

However, regarding this topic, Patrick Mouratoglou isn’t just making noise on Instagram—he took the conversation to LinkedIn too. He’s calling out what he sees as a huge flaw in tennis: despite the sport generating billions worldwide, it still leaves too many athletes struggling. He pointed to the PTPA’s latest legal action as a wake-up call, asking, “How can a global sport generating billions still leave so many of its athletes struggling to make a living?”

He broke it down with some eye-opening numbers. Only about 100 men and 100 women on tour earn enough to support themselves year-round. For those ranked around 200, the reality is grim. Many are losing money just to compete. “That’s not sustainable,” he wrote. He insisted that in a sport as commercially powerful as tennis, at least the top 500 players in both men’s and women’s singles should be able to make a living.

The current coach of Naomi Osaka, highlighted the revenue split as a key culprit—players get just 17% of tennis’s total revenue, while other sports hand out 30% to 50%. But he’s clear: it’s not just about raising the players’ share, it’s about how that money is divided. The gap between the superstars and those ranked 100 to 500 is “massive,” and he believes these dedicated athletes deserve more than just scraping by. “This isn’t about taking from the top players,” he said, “it’s about creating a healthier, more sustainable ecosystem for the sport as a whole.”

He insists they deserve a shot at a decent living, especially in a global sport that makes so much money. While the legendary coach might be in favor of the PTPA’s point, the ATP certainly minced no words in their response to the lawsuit.

The ATP gives its official statement to the PTPA lawsuit

After the Professional Tennis Players Association made headlines in March 2025 by filing a major antitrust lawsuit in New York, accusing tennis’s governing bodies of operating as a “cartel” that keeps player earnings low and limits competition. With Ahmad Nassar, the PTPA’s executive director, declaring, “Tennis is broken. Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent.” The federation gave back a firm response.

The ATP issued a strong statement dismissing the lawsuit as “entirely without merit” and promising to “vigorously defend our position.” The ATP emphasized its ongoing reforms, highlighting efforts to boost player earnings and financial security. “ATP remains committed to working in the best interests of the game – towards continued growth, financial stability, and the best possible future for our players, tournaments, and fans,” the statement read.

Backing up their claims, the ATP pointed to new initiatives like the Baseline program, which guarantees minimum earnings for the top 250 singles players. If players don’t reach a certain prize money threshold, the ATP steps in to make up the difference. There’s also injury protection for those sidelined from events and a $200,000 boost for newcomers breaking into the Top 125. In just its first year, Baseline provided $1.3 million in support to 26 players—evidence, the ATP says, of its commitment to player welfare.

With the PTPA and ATP locked in this high-stakes standoff, it’s anyone’s guess how things will shake out. But with influential voices like Patrick Mouratoglou, who’s coached everyone from Serena Williams to Coco Gauff—spotlighting these issues, there’s hope that the debate will lead to meaningful change for players at every level. What do you think?