The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) issued a lawsuit against the ATP, WTA, and ITF tennis entities on March 18, 2025, as the Miami Open early rounds of play were getting underway. Reilly Opelka is one of the players listed by name on the lawsuit.
The PTPA's 163 page legal document lists issues the organization claims it has been discussing with the ATP, WTA, and ITF for years, but it has not made any progress.
During the Miami Open, when the PTPA lawsuit came up in discussions between the media and players, which was not often, top players who were asked mentioned not being aware of it.
What Reilly Opelka said
Reilly Opelka shared that he was approached by a Players Advisory Board member while riding an exercise bike at the Miami Open. The player (whom he didn't name) delivered a message from ATP chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi.
ATP has announced the Player Advisory Council for the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/irWG3YFiNj
— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) January 9, 2025
That message was to remove himself from the PTPA lawsuit or else he could lose money from his pension and legal fees. Opelka said he had three conversations with this player about the matter. The ATP denies that any such conversations occurred.
What it could mean
Opelka provided this information in testimony as the PTPA opened a second lawsuit against the ATP because of this incident.
There is no reason to think Opelka is lying. However, as part of due process, his account of events will be vetted and potentially corroborated by other players nearby when this happened or who potentially were given the same message.
This incident implies that the PTPA's lawsuit has more merit than many may have originally thought. One of the issues cited in the lawsuit was "hostile work environment." Being threatened in the work environment in the way Opelka describes could be construed as blackmail.
It will be interesting to see if Opelka is asked about this incident during media appearances at this week's Barcelona Open. He is scheduled to play Stefanos Tsitsipas on April 15.