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This year, tennis faced serious challenges as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) enforced numerous penalties against players and officials who violated its Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP). The cases ranged from match-fixing and betting violations to breaches of sponsorship rules, illustrating the ongoing effort to maintain fairness in the sport. Here are some of the most talked about cases of 2024.
In January, Tunisian player Ghorbel received a five-year suspension and a $20,000 fine after being found guilty of multiple violations, including failing to report corrupt approaches and influencing match outcomes. His suspension, tied to activities from 2016 and 2017, also connected him to a larger Belgian match-fixing syndicate. The syndicate’s leader, Grigor Sargsyan, was sentenced to five years in prison, further highlighting the international scope of these investigations.
March brought another case when Croatian official Marko Stojanovic admitted to 15 breaches of the TACP. These included manipulating match data to support betting. Stojanovic cooperated with the ITIA and accepted a five-and-a-half-year suspension and a $25,000 fine.
In April, Bulgarian umpire Pavel Atanasov received a lifetime ban after admitting to multiple violations, including manipulating scoring data for betting purposes and failing to report corrupt approaches. Atanasov initially denied the charges but later withdrew his appeal, allowing the ITIA to finalize the sanctions. He was also fined $10,000.
Also in April, player Cortes admitted to 35 violations of the TACP, including match-fixing, bribery, and failing to report corrupt solicitations between 2016 and 2018. Cortes cooperated with the investigation and accepted a 15-year suspension and a $75,000 fine. His case stands as one of the most severe examples of how corruption can undermine the integrity of competition.
In May, the ITIA issued lifetime bans to two players. The first one to Alejandro Mendoza Crespo for 20 violations related to a Belgian syndicate, alongside a $250,000 fine. His associate, Jorge Panta Herreros, received a three-year suspension and a $10,000 fine for four violations.
June saw two additional cases of betting violations. Australian official Steven Nguyen and Slovenian former player David Gorsic both admitted to placing bets on tennis while subject to TACP rules. Nguyen received a three-month suspension and a $2,000 fine, while Gorsic faced a six-month suspension and a $5,000 fine.
In another case from January, Miami Open tournament director and former tennis-pro James Blake was fined for breaching sponsorship rules. While the violation was less severe than others, it reinforced the importance of adherence to anti-corruption standards at all levels of the sport.
Tennis has always been susceptible to outsiders trying to influence match outcomes, and therefore ITIA remains committed to uphold its rules in 2025.