Andy Murray's ex-coach seemingly throws shade at Novak Djokovic-led PTPA over 'tennis is broken' claim citing Indian Wells, Miami Open success
Andy Murray's ex-coach Mark Petchey recently fired back at the Novak Djokovic-led PTPA's 'tennis is broken' claim. To drive home his point, Petchey cited this year's attendance figures at the 'Sunshine Double', the back-to-back combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 events held across Indian Wells and Miami.
Petchey's swipe came on the back of a polarizing claim made by Ahmad Nassar, the executive director of the Novak Djokovic-led PTPA. The claim was part of a press release, which officially announced the PTPA's controversial set of class-action lawsuits that it filed against tennis governing bodies: ITF, ATP, WTA, and ITIA.
"Tennis is broken. Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety," a part of Nassar's statement read.
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 Miami Open, the second chapter of this year's 'Sunshine Double', Petchey took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:
"Attendance in IW - 504,268 Attendance in Miami - 405,448. Both records. Can it be better - yes. Doesn’t seem broken #JustSaying"
Interestingly, Petchey's former pupil, Andy Murray, currently the coach of Novak Djokovic, seemed to take a subtle dig at Nassar's claim in the recent past.
"Tennis isn't broken after all" - Andy Murray cites Miami Open example to counter Novak Djokovic-led PTPA's take
Andy Murray, who broke into the top 50 during his playing career under Mark Petchey's tutelage, laid bare his amazement at the atmosphere during the first-round encounter between teenage prodigies Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien at the 2025 Miami Open. Murray also seemed to cheekily call out the PTPA's 'tennis is broken' claim, implying that the electric atmosphere at the match was proof of the sport's wholeness.
"What an incredible atmosphere 👏🏼 👏🏼 Fonseca and Tien are amazing talents! Tennis isn’t broken after all 😉," Murray wrote in an X post.
Murray spearheaded Novak Djokovic's charge to the 2025 Miami Open final. Unfortunately for the Brit and the Serb, though, the 24-time Major winner couldn't get over the line, as he was stopped in his tracks at the last hurdle by 19-year-old Czech phenom Jakub Mensik.
The final, which commenced after a rain delay of several hours, saw Djokovic struggle to adapt to the humid conditions in Miami. While the former No. 1 tried to keep pace with Mensik, he ultimately ran out of steam, leading to the teenager's maiden ATP Tour-level title triumph.