International Tennis Integrity Agency

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) is the organisation responsible for safeguarding the integrity of professional tennis worldwide. It is an upgraded version of Tennis Integrity Unit (2008–2020). It was established following a comprehensive review of integrity in the sport.[1][2][3][4]

International Tennis Integrity Agency
SportProfessional tennis
JurisdictionGlobal
AbbreviationITIA
Founded2021 (2021)
HeadquartersBank Lane, Roehampton,
London, SW15 5XZ, United Kingdom
CEOKaren Moorhouse
Official website
itia.tennis

The ITIA assumed responsibility for administering the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program on its formation and for the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme on 1 January 2022.[5]

In addition to prevention, education and drug testing activities, it gathers intelligence and investigates competition manipulation, most notably match fixing in tennis. It has the ability to impose fines and sanctions, and ban players, umpires, and other tennis officials from participating in sanctioned tournaments.[6][7]

The organisation is an initiative from the International Governing Bodies (IGBs) of professional tennis: the ITF, ATP, WTA, and the four Grand Slam tournaments (the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open). The ITIA is legally independent of the IGBs and makes its own decisions on investigations and prosecutions. In this respect it is unusual in global sports.[8]

Governance

The ITIA is supervised by the Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board (TISB) which has 5 independent members and 4 tennis members, representing the IGBs. The TISB is currently chaired by Jennie Price CBE, former CEO of Sport England.[9]

Leadership and staff

The ITIA was founded by its first CEO Jonny Gray, a former Senior Partner and Global Head of Sport at Control Risks. And a former commanding officer of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, decorated for service in the Troubles and the Iraq War.[10][11][12] Appointed in 2019, it was announced in 2022 that he would step down having made a 'significant contribution to integrity in tennis'.[13] In late 2022 it was announced that he would be succeeded by Karen Moorhouse, an executive with the Rugby Football League.[14]

It has three Senior Directors. These are:

The ITIA has around 35 staff across intelligence, investigations, anti-doping, education & training, legal/case management, communications and administration.

Tennis Anti-Corruption Program

One of the main responsibilities of the ITIA is to administer the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) on behalf of the IGBs. The TACP is sets out the various corruption offences in professional tennis, including those related to betting, match fixing and competition manipulation. The ITIA investigates possible offences of the TACP. When it has a sufficiency of evidence it submits a case to an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) for a first instance hearing. There are currently seven AHOs. Appeals of first instance decisions are heard de novo at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.[18][19]

Tennis Anti-Doping Programme

Another main responsibility of the ITIA is to administer the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) on behalf of the IGBs. Professional tennis players are tested for substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (‘WADA’) and, upon a finding that an Anti-Doping Rule Violation has been committed, sanctions are imposed under the Programme in compliance with the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code.[20]

Tennis Integrity Protection Programme

The ITIA also administers the Tennis Integrity Protection Programme (TIPP). TIPP is an interactive online e-learning programme designed to inform participants in the sport and thus to protect the integrity of the sport. TIPP is mandatory for all players and officials and must be completed every 2 years. The ITIA also recommend that all those working in tennis such as coaches, tournament staff and agents complete the programme.[21]

Investigations and sanctions

Last updated on: 7 January 2022.[22]

Current suspensions
  • Tunisia Majed Kilani (match official suspended for 7 years + US$7,000 fine to be repaid in equal yearly payments)
  • Venezuela Armando Alfonso Belardi Gonzalez (suspended for 2 years and six months + US$5,000 fine with US$4,000 suspended)
  • France Jonathan Kanar (suspended for 4 years and 6 months + US$2,000 fine)
  • Chile Juan Carlos Sáez (8 years suspension)*
  • Egypt Issam Taweel (5 years suspension with two years suspended + US$15,000 fine with US$13,000 suspended)
  • Nigeria Henry Atseye (3 years suspension, with one year suspended + US$5,000 fine with US$2,500 suspended)
  • Spain Marc Fornell Mestres (provisionally suspended)
  • Argentina Patricio Heras (suspended + US$25,000 fine)
  • Colombia Barlaham Zuluaga Gaviria (suspended for 3 years + US$5,000 fine)
  • United States Nikita Kryvonos (suspended + US$20,000 fine)
  • Poland Piotr Gadomski (suspended + US$15,000 fine)
  • Spain Gerard Joseph Platero Rodriguez (suspended for 4 years + US$15,000 fine)
  • Greece Antonis Kalaitzakis (tournament director suspended for 16 months + US$3,000 fine)
  • Belarus Alexey Izotov (chair umpire suspended for 3 years + US$10,000 fine)
  • Argentina Nicolás Arreche (provisionally suspended)
  • Belgium Arthur De Greef (provisionally suspended)
  • Belgium Romain Barbosa (provisionally suspended)
  • Belgium Alex Witmeur (provisionally suspended)
  • Peru Mauricio Echazú Puente (provisionally suspended)

*Appeal dismissed from The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).[23]

Banned
  • Spain Gerard Joseph Platero Rodriguez (4 years ban with six months suspended + US$15,000 fine)
  • Australia Nick Lindahl (7 years ban + US$35,000 fine)
  • Spain Enrique López Pérez (8 years ban + US$25,000 fine)*
  • Bulgaria Yuri Khachatryan (10 years ban + US$50,000 fine)
  • Brazil Pertti Vesantera (coach banned for 5 years + US$15,000 fine)
  • United Kingdom George Kennedy (7 months ban + US$10,000 fine + US$9,000 suspended)
  • Italy Potito Starace (10 years ban + US$100,000 fine)
  • France David Rocher (line umpire banned for 1 year and 6 months + US$5,000 fine + US$4,000 suspended)
  • Egypt Mostafa Hatem (3 years ban + US$3,000 fine)
  • Slovakia Dagmara Baskova (12 years ban + US$1,000 fine)
  • Russia Nikita Gudozhnikov (2 years and 6 months ban + US$7,500 fine)
  • Venezuela Roberto Maytín (14 years ban + US$100,000 fine + US$75,000 suspended)
  • Slovakia Barbora Palcatova (3 years ban with 15 months suspended + US$5,000 fine + US$3,500 suspended)
  • Kazakhstan Roman Khassanov (10 years ban + US$100,000 fine + US$75,000 suspended)
  • Colombia Carlos Andrés Sepúlveda Navarro (3 years ban + US$10,000 fine + US$8,000 suspended)
  • Uzbekistan Amal Sultanbekov (5 years ban + US$8,000 fine)
  • Algeria Hichem Yasri (3 months ban + US$5,000 fine)
  • Germany Dario Drebenstedt (1 year ban + US$5,000 fine)
  • Mexico Mauricio Astorga (3 years ban + US$1,500 fine)
  • Morocco Amine Ahouda (11 years ban + US$5,000 fine)
  • Morocco Anas Chakrouni (10 years ban + US$5,000 fine)
  • Morocco Mohamed Zakaria Khalil (9 years ban + US$5,000 fine)
  • Morocco Soufiane El Mesbahi (9 years ban + US$5,000 fine)
  • Morocco Yassir Kilani (9 years ban + US$5,000 fine)
  • Mexico Carlos Ramirez Utermann (1 year and 10 months ban + US$2,000 fine + US$8,000 suspended)
  • Mexico Roberto Santino Quintana Llamas (2 years ban + US$2,000 fine + US$8,000 suspended)
  • Argentina Nicolás Arreche (4 years ban + US$8,000 fine)

* Suspension contested and paused for Royal Spanish Tennis Association events, pending CAS ruling, by Superior Court of Justice of Madrid, Spain.[24]

Lifetime ban

See also

References
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