SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Reappointed ATP chief's focus on integrity

ATP executive chairman Chris Kermode says protecting integrity, after recent match-fixing and doping scandals, is the biggest challenge facing tennis.

ATP Chairman Chris Kermode.
ATP chief Chris Kermode says protecting integrity is the biggest challenge facing tennis. (AAP)

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Protecting the integrity of tennis in the wake of the recent match-fixing and doping scandals is the biggest challenge facing the sport over the next decade, ATP executive chairman Chris Kermode has said.

Kermode was appointed on Thursday for a second term in charge of men's tennis, having taken over the role in January 2014.

It comes just days after the world of sport was rocked by the news that five-time grand slam winner Maria Sharapova had failed her drugs test at the Australian Open and as the sport deals with questions about match-fixing.

"I look forward to working with the other governing bodies of tennis to continue to protect the integrity of our sport," Kermode said in a statement.

In an interview in The Times, Kermode added: "People have to believe what they are watching.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"More scandals would totally undermine our integrity. That is why we have the maximum incentive to catch athletes for breaking the rules."

Tennis has been dogged by instances of doping violations, with Marin Cilic, Viktor Troicki and Barbora Strycova all receiving bans in the past few years.

The European Sport Security Association said in a report in February that tennis accounted for nearly three-quarters of all suspicious betting alerts issued last year, while men's No.1 Novak Djokovic revealed in January that a member of his staff was approached about fixing a match early in his career.

Kermode said identifying cheats was a priority for the governing body, but called for perspective over the betting issue.

"It is also important to look at the numbers," he said.

"There were more than 120,000 tennis matches last year; 99.8 per cent of those matches did not raise betting alerts."


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world