Tennis | Governing bodies promise to address corruption

Tennis’ governing bodies have promised to deliver a “timely implementation” of recommendations to tackle corruption in the sport.

An independent review of corruption in tennis was prompted after the BBC and BuzzFeed News published reports in January 2016 alleging that governing bodies ignored widespread evidence of match-fixing involving more than a dozen players.

Following the release of an interim report in April, an independent panel has published its final recommendations that include limiting the supply of official live scoring data, eliminating all sponsorship deals with gambling companies and expanding the staffing and reach of the Tennis Integrity Unit — the anti-corruption group established in 2008.

In a joint statement, the ITF, ATP, WTA and the four Grand Slam tournaments — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — said they would work to implement the recommendations, adding that “delivering a world-class anti-corruption regime for professional tennis remains a paramount priority.”

The panel said tennis’ governing bodies were “well-positioned to address the integrity challenges” the sport faces, having previously said there was no evidence of “institutional corruption or cover-up.”

Members of a new, independent supervisory board to provide oversight and guidance of the TIU will be appointed early next year. AP