Brad Gilbert said tennis players lack necessary leverage in their professional dealings because they do not have a formal union [1].
The comments address a long-standing power imbalance between individual athletes and the governing bodies that control the sport's schedule and revenue. As the professional game continues to evolve, the lack of collective bargaining remains a central point of contention for players seeking better terms.
Gilbert, a former professional tennis player, coach, and analyst, said these views during a CNBC Sport interview on May 27, 2026 [1]. He said that without a unified representative body, players are unable to effectively negotiate with the organizations that manage the tours.
During the discussion, Gilbert also explored the possibility of merging the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) [1]. A merger of the two primary governing bodies could potentially streamline the sport's administration, and create a more cohesive structure for both male and female athletes.
Tennis currently operates with a fragmented system of player representatives rather than a traditional labor union. This structure often leaves individual players to negotiate their own terms or rely on smaller committees that lack the legal teeth of a formal union, a gap Gilbert said hinders the growth of player rights.
By consolidating the ATP and WTA, the sport could move toward a more centralized model of governance [1]. Such a shift would likely change how tournament prizes are distributed and how the global calendar is managed, potentially providing a stronger foundation for the unionization Gilbert advocates.
“tennis players lack leverage without a union”
The push for a tennis union represents a shift toward the labor models seen in other major professional sports, such as the NBA or NFL. If players successfully organize or if the ATP and WTA merge, it could lead to a fundamental redistribution of power and revenue from governing bodies to the athletes themselves.
