Tennis match fixing scandal: Global corruption investigation exposes dirtiest sport in the world

As instances of corruption in tennis have been laid bare, investigators will be keeping a close watch on several ‘persons of interest’ already on site at Melbourne Park.

International agents investigating corruption in tennis are monitoring several “persons of interest” at the Australian Open after an alarming upsurge in match fixing and doping cases that have rocked the sport.

Authorities are on high alert about criminal elements infiltrating tennis after four players were expelled for life last year while another 26 players, coaches and umpires were handed bans totalling 183 years after being caught up in match fixing.

A team of crime fighting experts from Europe has been deployed to Melbourne Park for the first grand slam of the year but any specific targets remain a closely-guarded secret.

While the prime role of the investigators is to oversee the blood and urine anti-doping programs in place to catch drug cheats after 18 players were busted last year alone, the agents have also been given increased powers to seize the mobile phones of any players or officials suspected of criminal activities.

“We would never shy away from saying there is a match fixing issue in tennis,” the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA)’s communications boss Adrian Bassett said.

“This is why we exist.

“So if we want to talk to a player, they have to talk to us. And if we ask for their phone, they have to give us their phone.”

AUSTRALIAN OPEN THREAT

The beefed up surveillance operation taking place at the Australian Open this year is being run by the ITIA — an independent organisation set up in 2021 to tackle corruption after European cops uncovered shocking evidence of sophisticated criminal organisations bribing players and match officials to fix results.

The ITIA’s sleuths do not suspect any matches at this year’s Australian Open will be fixed because most corruption in tennis happens out of the spotlight, at lower level events.

But the investigators are aware that several “persons of interest” are already on site at Melbourne Park so will be closely scrutinised.

David Sharpe and Sport Integrity Australia are playing a leading role in trying to stem the global surge of addicted athlete gamblers.

“There are players who have been involved in match fixing who will come to the grand slams,” Bassett said.

“Of course, the players who are of interest who come to grand slams, that’s half the reason our investigators are here.

“But we don’t see evidence of mass match fixing at grand slams because this is when everyone is watching and the bookmakers are keeping a close eye on it as well.”

THE DIRTIEST SPORT

Tennis officials, including organisers of the Australian Open, have long been aware of the threats criminals pose to the sport so were already policing major tournaments for any dodgy activity.

But the depth and regularity of criminal activity is only really just coming to light after the ITIA began sharing classified intelligence with Australian and international law enforcement agencies.

The result has been a dramatic escalation in convictions that has stunned the tennis world.

In just the third quarter of last year, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) — the global watchdog for the licensed betting industry — was notified about 76 suspicious alerts from different sports around the world.

Of those, 33 were related directly to tennis — more than twice as many as any other sport.

While none of those originated from Australia, the IBIA has received previous warnings of criminal activity in Australia, including one match at the start of 2022 that was flagged as a “suspicious alert”.

Zheng Baoluo was banned for nine months. Picture: Zhe Ji/Getty

EASY TARGETS

While lower tier events are easier for crooks to fix, authorities are under no illusions that sophisticated gangs won’t also target the biggest events after exposing the scale and brazenness of the perpetrators.

For the first time at the Australian Open, ITIA’s investigators will also be working closely with Sport Integrity Australia, running the anti-doping program at the tournament, but it can be revealed their fledgling co-operation will extend beyond drug testing.

Under David Sharpe, the SIA is now playing a leading role in trying to stem the global surge of addicted athlete gamblers after cases overseas showed criminals will stop at nothing to entrap those involved in sport — including blackmailing them with money loans, recreational drugs and even honeytrap prostitutes.

A 2021 Europol report on organised crime groups in sports corruption identified tennis as one of the main sports that criminals were targeting to make a quick buck.

Originally published as Tennis match fixing scandal: Global corruption investigation exposes dirtiest sport in the world