Germany’s tennis icon Boris Becker has strongly criticized the lawsuits filed by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) against the sport’s governing bodies. Becker in particular targeted PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar during the podcast “Becker Petkovic,” which he co-hosts with former tennis player Andrea Petkovic. “I have been in the tennis business for 40 years. If this man were to cross my path now, I wouldn’t recognize him,” Becker said. “And he talks about my beloved sport of tennis and says tennis is broken – who does this man think he is?” The PTPA has accused men’s and women’s tours the ATP and WTA, as well as the International Tennis Federation (ITF), of forming a cartel and operating a corrupt, illegal and abusive system. The lawsuits focus on issues such as excessive demands on players, an overly long season, and collusion to prevent competition between tournaments. Becker pointed out that no top players have signed the lawsuits. “If the top 10 players were to support this unanimously, fine. If I don’t have them, then I can’t take the matter seriously,” Becker said. “I don’t understand the basis for it, the language or the way of doing it.” (DPA)
