The problems in tennis might be deeper than we thought.
An investigation by the Guardian has revealed that a number of umpires may have been taking bribes from gamblers to influence betting markets.
The stunning discovery comes just weeks after the season’s first grand slam event, the Australian Open, was overshadowed by evidence of widespread match-fixing in the sport.
Tennis authorities have insisted that they have been fully transparent when it comes to the fight against corruption in the sport, but the Guardian found that two umpires have already been banned with another four are believed to be awaiting censure.
The umpires, who are responsible for updating match scores on tablet computers after each point, were found to have manipulated betting markets by waiting as much as a minute before entering the updates, giving bettors a window to trade on markets before prices had been adjusted.
Some umpires are alleged to have even texted gamblers from the chair before refreshing the scores.
The cases all occurred in smaller ATP Challenger and Futures tournaments, away from the spotlight associated with larger events.
