The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has launched Winners Alliance, a for-profit affiliate that is meant to generate and maximize off-the-court commercial opportunities for players and their agents, and announced that the new affiliate has raised $26 million to support operations and long-term growth. The PTPA, co-founded in 2020 by Vasek Pospisil and Novak Djokovic, is an independent organization dedicated to the advancement and protection of professional men’s and women’s tennis players globally across their professional journey. Ahmad Nassar, the former founding CEO of OneTeam Partners and NFL Players Inc. president, has been named the executive director of the PTPA and CEO of Winners Alliance. Winners Alliance chairman Bill Ackman, via the Pershing Square Foundation, and Prysm Capital, an equity investment firm experienced in working with player associations, co-led the $26 million raise, alongside investment from Nassar.
Among its first initiatives, Winners Alliance will establish a sustainable group licensing program for video games, trading cards, collectibles and related opportunities. The inaugural Winners Alliance board of directors consists of: chairman Bill Ackman, who is CEO and portfolio manager of Pershing Square Capital Management and co-trustee of The Pershing Square Foundation; Christina Francis, president of Magic Johnson Enterprises and former chief marketing officer of the Orange Bowl and NFL Players Association; Jay Park, co-founder and managing partner at Prysm Capital; Muhammad Mian, Prysm Capital co-founder and partner; and Nassar.
