The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has sanctioned another tennis player for flouting the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).
In recent months, there have been numerous cases of tennis players in the lower tiers of the tour culpable of breaching several regulations instituted within the anti-doping and anti-corruption programs.
And it's not just players who collude to fix matches; tennis officials have been caught in the act. In December, at least four officials were fined and handed lengthy suspensions from the sport.
The identity of the player in this latest case was revealed in a press release by the ITIA as Italian professional tennis player Andrea Rita, who attained a career-high ITF ranking of 1712 in June 2023 in singles. He is unranked on the ATP Tour.
Rita has been suspended for a period of 15 months for admitting to four breaches of the TACP between 2018 and 2020. Charges relate to betting on tennis matches and his failure to inform authorities of a corrupt approach.
Aside from his suspension, he has also been fined a total of $5,000, of which $4,000 is suspended. Rita, who will celebrate his 24th birthday next month, has not played a competitive match since September 2023, when he lost to countryman Simone Agostini at the $15,000 ITF Constanta.
Rita was eligible to contest the charge in front of an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) but cooperated with the ITIA and accepted the punishment.
The 23-year-old's ban began on January 26th, 2024, and will end on April 25th, 2025. During this period, he is strictly not permitted to play, attend, or even coach at any tennis event authorized by the members of the ITIA.
The ITIA is the current independent body with the sole authority to protect and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis, and it works with relevant authorities to reach a conclusive decision in each case.
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