The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) can today confirm it has issued a sanction to Australian tennis coach Mark Philippoussis for breaching tennis’ betting sponsorship rules.
Philippoussis, a former top-10 ATP singles player and current professional coach, has been fined $10,000 and issued with a suspended ban of four months after receiving payment for providing a voiceover to promotional content for a gaming operator. Philippoussis co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation and did not contest the charge.
The suspension does not come into force unless there is a further breach of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP) during a four-month period, which started on 21 July 2023.
As an accredited coach, Philippoussis is considered a “Covered Person”, meaning they are subject to the sport’s rules around relationships with betting operators.
Section D.1.b of the 2022 TACP rules states that:
“No Covered Person shall directly or indirectly, facilitate, encourage and/or promote Tennis Betting (‘Facilitation’).”
Karen Moorhouse, ITIA CEO, said: “As a sport, tennis has decided that accredited individuals should not have commercial relationships with betting companies given their potential ability to influence matches, access to inside information, and therefore the perception of such relationships. Whilst this case is clearly not one of corruption, it is a rule that players, coaches, and others in the sport need to be aware of.
“Our message to players and others covered by the TACP is that you can always talk to us if you are unsure of any rules, or are seeking clarity on any potential commercial arrangement.
“Preventing a breach before it occurs is always our preferred course of action, and players or covered persons can contact us at any time via our app, our social media accounts, or the contact form on our website.”
To download the ITIA App, which is custom designed to support players, representatives and support staff with TACP and Tennis Anti-Doping Programme rules, click here (iOS) or here (Android).
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.
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Published 26 July 2023 12:00
