Tennis Hit With Match Fixing Allegations
Tennis has been hit with allegations of match fixing after files were leaked exposing evidence of foul play at the top level of world tennis, including matches at Wimbledon.
According to a report by BBC and BuzzFeed News, 16 players ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions of match fixing.
A group of whistle blowers inside tennis, who want to remain anonymous, recently passed the documents on to the BBC and Buzzfeed News.
The 16 players include grand slam champions and eight players competing in this year’s Australian Open. The files also suggested that three matches at Wimbledon may have been thrown, but it is not clear when they took place.
The documents include the findings of an investigation set up in 2007 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), looking into suspicious betting activity. The enquiry also found betting syndicates in Russia, north Italy and Sicily.
According to BuzzFeed, the players targeted were offered at least $50,000 to fix matches whilst in hotel rooms at major tournaments.
Chris Kermode, executive chairman and president of the ATP, rejected claims evidence of match fixing had “been suppressed for any reason or isn’t being thoroughly investigated.”
But added: “While the BBC and BuzzFeed reports mainly refer to events from about 10 years ago, we will investigate any new information.”
Mark Phillips, an investigator in the 2007 investigation, told the BBC: “There was a core of about 10 players that we believed were the most common perpetrators that were at the root of the problem. The evidence was really strong, there appeared to be a really good chance to nip it in the bud and get a strong deterrent out there to root out the main bad apples.”
The BBC and Buzzfeed News have decided not to name the players because – without access to their phone, bank and computer records – it is not possible to determine whether they may have been personally taking part in match fixing. However, tennis’ integrity unit does have the power to demand all this evidence from any professional tennis player.
