The sport of tennis is facing some serious concerns about many of its top players potentially participating in match fixing.
The men’s professional tennis tour — the ATP (Association of Tennis Players) — launched an investigation into alleged match fixing back in 2007 when there was suspicious betting surrounding a game between Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello. Though Davydenko and Arguello were cleared of wrongdoing, the investigation led to a deeper look at the potential ties of players to gamblers.
The BBC and Buzz Feed News were given the records of the investigation by whistle blowers looking to keep integrity within the sport. The records say 16 players who were ranked in the top 50 over the past decade were repeatedly flagged for suspicion of throwing matches.
Betting syndicates in Russia, Italy and Sicily were shown to be making lots of money on matches investigators thought were fixed. Those matches included three at Wimbledon, the most prestigious tournament in the sport.
The Tennis Integrity Unit has apparently been told repeatedly about suspicious players or matches, but they have not acted. They were told they could not pursue claims for past corruption. They have not disciplined players currently believed to be involved in match fixing.
“There was a core of about 10 players who we believed were the most common perpetrators that were at the root of the problem,” investigator Mark Phillips told BBC.
“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.”
About 50 matches involving suspicious betting were flagged for TIU in 2015 alone — about one per week. The BBC says eight players repeatedly flagged for participating in suspicious matches will be playing in the Australian Open, the first grand slam of the season.
Why would top tennis players get involved in match fixing when they are making a very nice living playing the sport? Back in 2007, John McEnroe shared his opinion and his comments could explain it.
