| As Some Tennis Players Sue
ATP Motion on Threats Held Amid
Djokovic Questions
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
April 11 – Some players on the
tennis tour sued the ATP -
then alleged that the ATP was
threatening those who sued,
and pressuring others to sign
a petition against the
lawsuit. The motion was
hearing on April 11 before
U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge Margaret M. Garnett.
Inner City Press was there,
live tweeting. Thread:
ATP lawyer:
You're aware that Novak
Djokavic said there are parts
of the lawsuit he does not
agree with?
Vasek Pospisil: I was
surprised
ATP lawyer: And
world number 3 Carlos Alcaraz
said he never saw the lawsuit?
Pospisil: In
retrospect I should have reach
out to him. But I have spoken
with all the named
plaintiffs
Redirect PTPA
lawyer: You didn't want the
players to have to keep acting
like scared children, right?
Pospisil: I did not.
Next witness, by
video from Barcelona, is
Reilly Opelka.
PTPA lawyer: Were
you threatened? Opelka: That
if I stayed on the lawsuit I
could lose my
pension PTPA
lawyer: Did it give you pause?
Opelka: Yes. And others heard
it. Some have told me they'd
join the lawsuit if not for
the threats. ATP lawyer:
Objection! Judge: What's the
basis of his knowledge?
Opelka: The players told
me.
Cross: ATP
lawyer: The person who
conveyed a threat was another
player, member of the Player
Advisory Council? Opelka:
Correct. We were in the gym.
He was on the bike. ATP
lawyer: Not an ATP official?
Opelka: Correct.
ATP lawyer: You
have not had your ATP
membership taken away, have
you? Opelka: I have not. ATP
lawyer: Nothing further.
Judge: Good luck next
week.
Now ATP witness
Luben Pampoulov ATP lawyer: On
March 18 where were you?
Pampoulov: Miami
Open. We had a Player Advisory
Council meeting. Two members
missed it, a third, Sasha, was
on Zoom only for part
ATP lawyer: DX 7, "Game. Set.
Reform." What did you think?
Pampoulov: Disbelief &
frustration. The complaint was
not supported by any
overwhelming majority. ATP:
And this counterstatement,
could it have been posted in
Players' Zone?
Pampoulov: Yes.
But it wasn't ATP
lawyer: Did you show a player
the statement? Pampoulov: Yes.
But I didn't ask him to sign
until after he showered. ATP
lawyer: Did a second player
sign the statement? Pampoulov:
Yes, he did. ATP lawyer:
Has the Chair [of the Players
Advisory Council] ever sided
5-4 with the Tournament?
Pampoulov: No. They were also
inaccurate about Indian
Wells...
Cross PTPA
lawyer: You showed the
statement to Sascha Zverev?
Pampoulov: Yes, in his private
suite PTPA lawyer:
How many players have signed
the ATP statement? Pampoulov:
A handful. PTPA lawyer: How
much do you get paid being on
the Players Advisory Council?
Pampoulov? I can say?
$100,000. PTPA lawyer: How
much did you make as a player?
Pampoulov: $20,000
Judge: I'll rule
later.
The case is
Pospisil, et al. v. ATP Tour,
Inc. et al., 1:25-cv-2207
(Garnett)
***
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