Tennis Pros Rally for Better Loon and less punitive schemes, in the midst of broader power struggle in world sport

Last week the professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), led by Novak Djokovic, announced it was sue the sports files The men (ATP) and Womens (WTA) Tours, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

The lawsuit:

• tries to change the prize money formula designed by the Tours for Men and Women (the PTPA says that too little of sportsoms goes to players)
• aims to improve the untenable calendar and match schedules of 11 months that players often keep on the field after midnight
• claims a harsh approach to the ITIA
• the sports ranking system criticizes
• Want to stimulate the number of combined events for men's women.

The trade union, co-founder of Djokovic five years ago, also claims anti-competitive practices and a blatant contempt for players' well-being.

The lawsuit is only an example of a struggle for control over international sport, the outcome of which will form the sport for the coming years.

The power of sports board

Sports International Administrative bodies such as the International Olympic Committee, Soccers rule of the FRATION INTERNATIONal The Football Association (FIFA) and, in the case of tennis, the ATP, WTA and ITF, masters of their domains.

These bodies exercise great power and autonomy over the competitions they manage. They determine who competes in their competitions, when and where, as well as rules and policy.

These rules relate to tournamentisms, being eligible for players and anti-doping policy. Players, teams and even countries that violate these rules are subject to fines, including removal of competitions.

Governments have been largely willing partners in this. They have respected the autonomy of these administrative bodies and assisted them where necessary by, for example, organizing their mega events, such as the Olympic Games, World Cups and Grand Slam tournaments.

However, this changes.

A changing landscape

As is apparent from the PTPA right case, players look for a larger part of the sport economic cake, better working conditions, more freedom in selecting where and when they play, and A bigger say in how their sports are performed.

Private investors also try to share in the money earned from sport by setting up rival competitions.

These include the Wall Street supported, but ultimately fatal, European Super League (football); the International Swimming LeagueFinanced by billionaire swimming fan Konstantin Grigorishin; And the Saudi Arabia supported Liv Golf Tour.

In response, some fans and teams are at a lower level that Organize to protect their clubs of the inflow of private money.

In the United Kingdom, this has resulted in proposed legislation for a Independent Football Regulator.

And all this occurs in the shadow of a broader geopolitical restructuring in which the traditional hegemony of West is challenged by the wealth of the Gulf States, the assertiveness of authoritarian regimes and the emerging economies of the worldwide south.

The result is a competition for control between actors and forces, both powerful and passionate.

The outcome of this competition is important because sport is a generator of important economic activity (a recent study estimated the global sports industry for the Ninth largest industry on earth) and an important vehicle for stimulating social change that both make both politically important.

What does the future hold?

When it is confronted with forces for change, sports directors generally go through a threefold process of denial (rejection of the need for change), resistance (fighting the change) and adaptation (assigned to any autonomy while retaining ultimate control).

The tennis dispute travels this worn path. Tenniss boards have denied the PTPA a seat at the table, so the PTPA now brings the case to court (early indications are Tenniss boards Will fight it powerfully).

Predicting the outcome of a lawsuit is loaded. However, sports drivers do not have a strong record that defends the use of their power for the courts.

Courts are more independent and less respect for sports boards than the political arms of the government.

Recent decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union offer proof of this. It applied EU forging legislation to limit the power of sports boards to:

Another example Comes from the United States, where the Supreme Court is laid down as an antitrust (competition) law violation, rules that the benefits that the benefits of student athletes can receive before playing.

This lawsuit led the administrative body of the collegial sport, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, a settlement of US $ 2.8 billion (a $ 4.45 billion) that allows colleges that allocates that Pay their student athletes.

As for tennis, the settlement of the PTPA disputes is possible, despite the current rhetoric.

Indeed, a form of adaptation of sports boards to accommodate the different forces and interests in the game is the most likely result.