Player Withdraws from Controversial Tennis Lawsuit After Grey Goose Sponsorship Denial

British tennis player Jay Clarke has opted to withdraw from the lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies.

The legal action, initiated by the Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA)—a relatively new, player-driven organisation heavily supported by Novak Djokovic—has received endorsements from over 250 players for the class-action suit against the men’s and women’s tours.

Clarke, currently ranked No. 277 in the world, was one of six players listed as plaintiffs in the London case. The lawsuit represents players from the UK, Brussels, and New York.

According to the court filings, Clarke “was not permitted to have a sponsorship with the alcohol brand, Grey Goose,” which is a crucial element of the case.

Other notable names involved in a separate New York lawsuit include Nick Kyrgios, Sorana Cirstea, Varvara Gracheva, Reilly Opelka, Tennys Sandgren, and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.

Clarke stated that he chose to withdraw from the legal proceedings in London due to the direction the case is taking.

“While I continue to support many of my previous comments and believe that more needs to be done for players, especially those at the lower tiers of the sport, I’ve made the decision to withdraw as a plaintiff,” he stated.

“I do not fully agree with the direction the case is taking, and at this point in my career, I need to concentrate solely on my tennis without any external distractions.”

Clarke’s exit provides another twist in the ongoing civil dispute within tennis, which lacks unanimous support from several leading players.

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Four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz mentioned at the Miami Open that he does not back the lawsuit, and Djokovic has also questioned aspects of the case.

“I sincerely hope that all governing bodies, including the PTPA, come together to address these issues,” he expressed. “This is more of a classic lawsuit, a lawyers versus lawyers situation.

“Honestly, there are aspects I support within the lawsuit, but there are also elements I find disagreeable. I noticed that some of the language used was rather strong, but I trust that the legal team understands the appropriate terminology needed to achieve the desired impact.”