The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) is an association of male and female tennis players founded by the players Vasek Pospisil and Novak Djokovic. The group represents singles players in the top 500 and doubles players in the top 200 of the ATP rankings and WTA rankings. It was founded by players who had previously been members of the Association of Tennis Professionals Players Council. Members of the PTPA include Novak Djokovic, the outgoing president of the Council, and Vasek Pospisil. The pair will initially serve as co-presidents of the PTPA for a two-year period. The PTPA is governed by a board of trustees of nine members, to be elected annually. As the ATP is the representative of both players and tournaments, a greater degree of autonomy for players is sought by the members of the PTPA. According to proponents of the new association, the current structure makes having decisions in the best interests of the players difficult, given the conflicting and complex interests of tournaments, Grand Slam bodies and the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The PTPA said in a document that the goal of their organization was "not to replace" the ATP but to "provide players with a self-governance structure that is independent from the ATP and is directly responsive to player-members needs and concerns". Beginnings The concept for the PTPA began in 2019, when Vasek Pospisil and Novak Djokovic found they shared a perception of shortcomings on how the ATP protected the interest of its players. Across 2020, they aimed to form and consolidate a movement, and it was formally founded as a non-profit in Canada in 2021, with the aim to "create transparency and fairness throughout decision-making in professional tennis", with membership being open to both men and women ranked in the top 350 in singles and/or top 150 in doubles. Launch The initial announcement and launch of the PTPA was done at the US Open on August 29, 2020. The announcement was posted on Vasek Pospisil's Twitter account and included a picture of the members standing on the court in masks with the caption, "After today's successful meeting, we are excited to announce the beginning of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). The first player only association in tennis since 1972. #PTPA". After the initial launch there was not much movement, however on June 22, 2021 the PTPA released a formal press release on their official