Former Grand Slam finalist Mark Philippoussis has been fined for breaching a minor betting rule.
The Australian was fined $10,000 and received a suspended ban of four months by breaching the sport’s betting rules.
Philippoussis received the charge from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), who claimed the former top ten player received a payment for providing a voiceover to promotional content for a gambling operator.
Speaking on the fine ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said that while it was no corruption, it was a rule more people need to be aware of, “As a sport, tennis has decided that accredited individuals should not have commercial relationships with betting companies,” Moorhouse was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
“Whilst the case is clearly not one of corruption, it is a rule that players, coaches, and others in the sport need to be aware of. Our message to players and others covered by the TACP is that you can always talk to us if you are unsure of any rules, or are seeking clarity on any potential commercial arrangement.“
Philippoussis has not contested the charge and fully cooperated with the investigation, the ITIA also stated.
Now the Australian will look to be careful as he looks to continue his coaching career as he has recently helped Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Philippoussis but it’s certain that this rule won’t be broken in the near future.
