ITIA Hands Tennis Umpire Ducman Decade-Long Ban and Fine over Match-Fixing

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has announced a ban on Slovenian tennis umpire Marko Ducman. This decision comes after Ducman admitted to multiple violations of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP), primarily involving gambling activities.

In a recent statement, the ITIA revealed that Ducman, who held a bronze badge in international tennis officiating, confessed to four TACP breaches. These violations are primarily related to betting on tennis matches, manipulating match data he officiated, and directly engaging in wagering activities.

Ducman, known for officiating at WTA, ATP, and ITF tournaments, now faces a 10-year and six-month ban from the sport. This suspension began with his provisional suspension on September 8, 2023, and is set to conclude on March 7, 2034, taking into account the time already served under provisional suspension.

In addition to the ban, Ducman has been fined $75,000, with $56,250 of it suspended. The ITIA noted that the umpire has agreed to cooperate fully with its ongoing investigation and has accepted the terms of the sanction, foregoing the right to a hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer.

With this ban, Ducman is prohibited from officiating or attending any tennis events sanctioned by the sport’s governing bodies. Data as of what matches he willingly altered with his decisions, have not been releaed.

This case follows other recent actions by the ITIA, including the provisional suspension of French player Maxence Broville in September. Broville faced suspension for non-compliance with ITIA demands, with potential TACP rule breaches under investigation.

Earlier this year, the ITIA also imposed a lifetime ban on French tennis professional Alexis Musialek for match-fixing, uncovering a total of 39 TACP rule breaches in his case. Two weeks ago, the ITIA suspended seven Belgium players over match-fixing allegations, pending an investigation. More on that is to follow.