Ex-tennis world number four fined for breaching betting sponsorship rules
Miami Open tournament director James Blake has accepted charges from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for a breach of betting sponsorship rules for a “covered person”.
Blake, who enjoyed a successful tennis career and at one point was ranked number four in the world, did not contest the charge and co-operated fully with the investigation, according to the ITIA.
In his current role as tournament director for the Miami Open, Blake is considered a “covered person” and under the ITIA’s Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) rules, no covered person is allowed to have a relationship with an operator which “directly or indirectly, facilitate, encourage, and/or promote tennis betting”.
While the ITIA did not name the operator or partnership in question, Blake did partner with Rush Street Interactive in August 2021 as a brand ambassador for BetRivers.
Per his punishment, Blake was issued a $56,250 fine, a suspended fine of $131,250, and a suspended ban of 18 months.
The latter suspended punishments only come into effect if Blake commits any further breaches in the 18 months after February 9, 2024.
However, Karen Moorhouse, CEO of the ITIA, said Blake’s rule breaking was nothing to do with corruption and more to do with the perception of breaking the rules.
She explained: “Across our members – the ATP, WTA, ITF need to write in full? and Grand Slams – the rules prohibit accredited individuals from having commercial relationships with betting companies.
“This case is more a matter of perception, rather than corruption. The rules apply to players, coaches, officials, and accredited tournament staff – who all have the ability to influence results or have access to inside information.
“We urge anyone in the sport who is unclear or is considering commercial deals like this to get in touch with us to seek guidance,” she added.
The ITIA has handed out a host of bans in recent months, including a 10-year ban to French player Leny Mitjana in January and a 16-year ban to Bulgarian chair umpire Stefan Milanov the same month.
Despite the recent punishments, the International Betting Integrity Association’s annual report showed there was a 49% decrease in tennis alerts year on year in 2023 – down from 106 to 54.
