Three Wimbledon and one Roland-Garros matches will be investigated by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) due to alerts for suspicious gambling patterns, the London-based anti-corruption body has revealed in a year-to-date briefing note.
The TIU has not specified which exact matches had raised concerns about potential match-fixing, but has pointed out that two of the Wimbledon matches had taken place during the tournament’s qualifying rounds, while the third had been part of the main draw.
The watchdog has explained that every related alert will be assessed carefully and due actions will be taken afterwards. However, it has made it clear in its briefing note that despite the concerns raised that “something inappropriate may have happened”, there is still not clear evidence of match-fixing.
Many have found the fact that four Grand Slam matches have appeared on TIU’s radar screen quite disconcerting. Match-fixing alerts are usually submitted in relation to lower-tier matches. TIU’s revealings have further fueled the ongoing debate about the integrity of tennis.
Last January, mere days before the start of the 2016 Australian Open, the BBC together with BuzzFeed produced evidence that main tennis watchdogs might have failed to sanction match-fixing activities at the sport’s upper levels. According to the two news outlets, there had been a group of players that had often appeared in various incidents of suspicious gambling activity, but had never been sanctioned. The BBC and BuzzFeed claimed that there were Grand Slam winners of singles and doubles among those players.
According to TIU’s briefing note, there were 53 match alerts filed in the period between April and June 2017, down from 73 such alerts during the same three months in 2016. During the first half of the year, there were 83 alerts, down from 121 received during the same prior-year period.
The TIU has pointed out that although it reviews all suspicious betting pattern alerts, this does not necessarily mean that suspicious activity is the result from match-fixing. According to the integrity watchdog, improper odds-setting, players’ overall form, well-informed betting and other circumstances may also affect betting patterns.
The TIU was established in 2008 as the sport’s first anti-corruption body. It was tasked with investigating any suspicious activities that may indicate any breach in the sports’ integrity. As tennis’ watchdog, the TIU is allowed to obtain financial information about suspects as well as their mobile phones, laptops, and tablets in the case of an ongoing investigation. The unit has been working with major tennis associations and organizations over the years.
