The Paris labor court ruled on Monday, December 15, that the dismissal of Nicolas Escudé, former national technical director (DTN) of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), was null and void. The court ordered the federation to pay him nearly €850,000 in compensation, temporarily resolving a dispute stemming from his planned dismissal in 2024.
A dismissal deemed unjustified
Appointed National Technical Director (DTN) in March 2021, Nicolas Escudé contested the reorganization of the national technical department in September 2023, which had split the role into two divisions and, according to him, stripped his position of its substance. The labor court ruled that this reorganization constituted a violation of his job security guarantee, justifying, in particular, compensation of over €330,000. The court also ruled the dismissal null and void, entitling him to an additional €180,000.
In total, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) will also have to pay compensation for psychological harassment, professional and economic damages, failure to provide notice, as well as moral, social, and family-related harm. The federation has announced it will appeal this decision, deeming the judgment questionable both substantively and legally, and specifies that it is not subject to immediate enforcement.
