ITIA Quarterly update - January - March 2022

Tennis Anti-Doping Programme Integration

On 1 January 2022, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) became responsible for the administration of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP). The decision to do this was unanimously signed off by the Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board (TISB) in 2021 and sees both anti-corruption and anti-doping efforts come under the independent banner of the ITIA.

The programme was successfully handed over between the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the ITIA and all cases from 2022 will be handled by the ITIA. Cases which began in 2021 or before will be dealt with and announced by the ITF.

As well as providing an independence to the process, the ITIA’s investigative and intelligence teams will bring a new approach to the fight against doping in the sport.

New Director of Intelligence appointed

Nick Iliffe was appointed as the ITIA’s Director of Intelligence, joining the organisation from data company Stats Perform.

Full story here

Sanctions

Two players have been sanctioned between January and March of 2022.

Mauricio Echazu banned for two years and three months:

https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/mauricio-echazu-banned/

Nicolás Arreche banned for four years:

https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/arreche-banned-for-four-years/

Match alerts Q1

Between January and March 2022, the ITIA received a total of 16 match alerts through its confidential Memoranda of Understanding with the regulated betting industry. This includes one alert received from the Australian Open (Qualifying round).

A note about match alerts:

Every alert reported to the ITIA is recorded, assessed and followed up as an indicator that something inappropriate may have happened. It is important to note that an alert on its own is not evidence of match fixing.

Unusual betting patterns can occur for many reasons other than match fixing – for example incorrect odds-setting; well-informed betting; player fitness, fatigue or form; playing conditions and personal circumstances.

The number and distribution of alerts are reported quarterly. Care should be taken in drawing any conclusions about prevailing corruption across the tennis ‘pyramid’ as there are many more matches at the bottom than at the top. More complete analysis will be published in our annual report.

Where analysis of a match alert does suggest corrupt activity, the ITIA conducts a full, confidential investigation.

Testing programme Q1

This is the first reporting quarter since the ITIA took on responsibility for the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. No sanctions have been announced during this quarter for 2022 offences. However the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced a number of sanctions in Q1 that are relating to cases from 2021. These can be accessed at https://antidoping.itftennis.com/

Education

With travel restrictions continuing to ease, the ITIA Education team has been able to travel to tournaments to talk to players, coaches and officials face to face, as well as continuing with their online programme.

In Q1 of 2022, the team has spoken to approximately 284 covered persons about the Tennis Anti-Doping and Anti-Corruption Programmes. This has included working with the L3 Officiating School in Orlando where chair umpires, chief umpires and referees received in depth-education seminars, online sessions with junior players from Asia, North and Central America and Caribbean and face to face informal sessions with players, agents and coaches at the Australian Open.