Working with the betting industry

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) works closely with the betting industry to share intelligence and information which may point towards integrity issues within the sport. Working together with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), we have been increasing engagement and co-operation with the industry to ensure we are receiving comprehensive information from the market – and that we are communicating back to the industry about trends, patterns and successful sanctions.

As part of this, our Director of Intelligence, Nick Iliffe joined a group of IBIA members to discuss the ITIA’s approach and talk about future engagement with the industry at an event in Barcelona this month.

“The fight against match fixing is an area where both tennis and the betting industry share common ground,” Nick commented. "Our message to the industry was that we want to increase two-way information sharing in relation to betting concerns, even if this results in an increase in the number of alerts identified. The more information we have, the better we are able to investigate and the more successful sanctions we are able to bring"

Dry Blood Spot testing

The ITIA implemented Dry Blood Spot (DBS) testing at tournaments in Q3. Whilst not a replacement for the traditional method of taking blood, the process is less intrusive and a cost-effective way to increase the amount of blood testing in-competition. Feedback from the players has been positive, following trials earlier in the year and the ITIA will be undertaking DBS testing in-competition on an ongoing basis. These figures are reported for the first time in the anti-doping reporting section below.

New Senior Director of Investigations starts work

Jenni Kennedy joined the ITIA in September as its new Senior Director of Investigations, joining from the English Football Association.

Sanctions

The ITIA has issued four provisional suspensions under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme in Q3.

Luis Patiño from Mexico:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/luis-patino-provisional-suspension/

Andrej Martin from Slovakia:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/andrej-martin-provisionally-suspended/

Felipe Hernández from Chile:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/felipe-hernandez-provisionally-suspended/

Juan-Carlos Osorio Hernández from Ecuador:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/osario-hernandez-provisionally-suspended/

In addition, a Russian junior player received a nine-months sanction for admitting a breach of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/russian-player-anti-doping-sanction/

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has also announced sanctions involving cases from 2021, prior to the ITIA taking on responsibility for the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. These are published on ITF channels.

Eight individuals have been sanctioned under the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme in Q3.

Three Tunisian umpires were banned, one for 20 years and two for seven years each:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/three-tunisian-umpires-banned/

Chilean player Michel Vernier Quinteros was banned for seven years and five months:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/vernier-banned/

Italian umpire Lorenzo Chiurazzi banned for seven years and six years:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/lorenzo-chiurazzi-banned/

Adam El Mihdawy from the US banned for three years and six months:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/adam-el-mihdawy-banned-from-tennis/

Chilean coach Sebastian Rivera banned for life after being found guilty of 64 offences:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/sebastian-rivera-life-ban/

There was one further provisional suspension announced under the TACP:

An Italian umpire was provisionally suspended in July:
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/totaro-provisional-suspension/

Match alerts

Between April and June 2022, the ITIA received a total of 34 match alerts through its confidential Memoranda of Understanding with the regulated betting industry. In addition, there was one match alert from Wimbledon which is included in Q3 figures as the tournament took place across the Q2 and Q3 reporting periods.

Tournament type

Number of alerts

Grand Slam – Wimbledon

1

ATP – Challenger 125

4

ATP – Challenger 80

8

ATP – Challenger 90

2

M15 – Men’s – World Tennis Tour

6

M25 – Men’s – World Tennis Tour

8

W15 – Women’s – World Tennis Tour

6

Total

35

 

This was a slight increase on Q2 of this year, which saw 29 alerts but less than the equivalent quarter last year, when 38 alerts were reported. Following ongoing discussions with the betting industry, these alerts may increase as we seek to maximise the information provided.

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.

Tennis Anti-Doping Testing Programme – Q3

 

Total samples

Men

Women

In competition (urine)

1434

920

514

In competition (blood)

57

27

30

In competition (ABP)

0

0

0

In competition (DBS)

72

36

36

 

 

 

 

Out of competition (urine)

325

157

168

Out of competition (blood)

305

144

161

Out of competition (ABP)

314

150

164

TOTALS

2507

1434

1073

ABP = Athlete Biological Passport
DBS = Dry Blood Spot

These figures outline the number of samples taken from players, not the number of tests (multiple samples e.g., urine and blood, can be taken from players when they are tested). All tests undertaken this quarter were with no notice.

The ITIA is responsible for the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme across all professional tennis. Tests in Q3 of 2022 took place at events ranging from ITF $15k level to the US Open, with in and out of-competition testing undertaken in 51 different countries.

Education and prevention

The ITIA Education team continues to take the Tennis You Can Trust message to the global tennis community, at all levels of the game.

In the run up to the US Open, the ITIA worked with the US Tennis Association (USTA) to ensure that over 1000 officials and event staff had completed the online Tennis Integrity Protection Programme (TIPP) ahead of the tournament. In total more than 5000 individuals completed TIPP during Q3 of 2022.

Meanwhile, players at the ITF Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji recently were also given a briefing remotely on the sport’s anti-corruption and anti-doping programmes and all teams at the World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostějov received in person education.

They were part of more than 1000 players, junior players, coaches and officials who received some form of education and prevention briefing – either in person or online throughout July, August and September of 2022.

Published 14 October 2022 15:30