The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that Mexican tennis player Carlos Ramirez Utermann has been banned from the sport for a year and 10 months after admitting breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) rules. In addition to the ban, the player was fined $2,000 with a further $8,000 suspended providing he commits no further breaches.
The sanction means that the player is prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by any international tennis governing body or national association for the length of his ban. The ban runs from 12 November 2021 until 11 September 2023.
Mr Ramirez Utermann, who had a career high ATP ranking of 1021, was found to have fixed the outcome or other aspects of matches and failing to report corrupt approaches to the ITIA. The incidents took place at matches in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
The case was dealt with under the 2021 TACP ‘Proposal for Disposition’ framework. This allows for a sanction to be handed down from the ITIA to the player upon admission of guilt, without the need for a hearing.
The breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program rules that Ramirez Utermann has admitted to are:
Section D.1.d of the 2018 TACP: “No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, contrive or attempt to contrive the outcome of any other aspect of any Event.”
Section D.2.a.i of the 2015, 2017 and 2018 TACP: “In the event any Player is approached by any person who offers or provides any type of money, benefit or Consideration to a Player to (i) influence the outcome or any other aspect of any Event, or (ii) provide Inside Information, it shall be the Player's obligation to report such incident to the TIU [Now ITIA] as soon as possible.”
The ITIA is an independent body established by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis to promote, encourage, enhance and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.
Published 16 December 2021 18:50
