The Romanian tennis player Petru-Alexandru Luncanu, 34, has been suspended for five years, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). Raj Parker, an impartial Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO), considered the evidence before making his judgement. Five of the seven allegations made against Luncanu by the ITIA, including match-fixing conduct in 2017 and 2021, were upheld by AHO Parker. Luncanu was also found guilty in 2022 of not offering the ITIA’s investigation its complete cooperation.
AHO Parker came to the conclusion that Luncanu had broken the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP) by influencing the results and other elements of numerous matches as well as by directly or indirectly promoting tennis betting. Luncanu refuted all accusations in spite of the accusations and supporting documentation.
In addition to the accusations of manipulating matches, it was determined that Luncanu had not given the ITIA’s inquiry his complete cooperation. In particular, when asked by an ITIA inspector, the athlete refused to allow his phone to be studied. This lack of collaboration also increased the harshness of the punishments meted out to Luncanu.
The findings have resulted in a suspension on Petru-Alexandru Luncanu from taking part in, coaching at, or visiting any tennis event approved or sanctioned by the tennis governing organizations until 8 June 2028. Along with the banishment, Luncanu was also assessed a $40,000 fine.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) was created by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis as a stand-alone entity. Its main goal is to defend, promote, support, and enhance professional tennis around the world. The organization is in charge of looking into and dealing with incidents of corruption, making sure fair play is maintained, and upholding the values of honesty and transparency in sport.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) is dedicated to upholding the integrity of professional tennis, as evidenced by the five-year ban of Petru-Alexandru Luncanu for many violations of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme.