Game, Set, Match-Fixing: Will International Anti-Doping Initiatives Pave the Way for Similar Reform for Corrupt Betting in Tennis?

I. INTRODUCTION II. THE CURRENT STATE OF CORRUPTION IN TENNIS A. The "Most Notorious Match in Tennis History" B. Structure of Governance in International Tennis C. Current Methods of Enforcement III. PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT MEANS OF ENFORCEMENT A. Insufficient Sanctions B. Barriers to Investigation C. Lack of Uniformity IV. A POSSIBLE MEANS FOR REFORM A. A Brief Examination of the Anti-Doping Framework B. A Suggestion for Anti-Corruption Reform V. CONCLUSION VI. AFTERWORD A. Increased Sanctions B. ATP Extended Coverage to Include Tournaments and Tournament Support Personnel C. Reporting Obligations D. Effect of Rule Changes on Suggested Reform E. The Updated State of Corruption in Tennis I. INTRODUCTION "People don't seem to understand that it's a damn war out there." (1) --Jimmy Connors, former world number-one tennis player (2) The international tennis community watched closely over the past year as its sport drew heightened media attention of an unwanted variety. (3) Allegations of corrupt betting practices and match-fixing flooded the sport sections of newspapers worldwide. (4) Tennis betting currently ranks third in betting volume on one of the world's largest betting exchanges, trailing behind only horse racing and soccer. (5) Despite the increasing volume of tennis bets, tennis betting flew under the radar until it was thrust to the forefront after a controversial match in Poland in August 2007. (6) Efforts have been made by a number of groups to remedy the problem of corrupt betting and match-fixing and to save the integrity of the sport. (7) However, a wide variety of issues, including limited investigation and availability of evidence, make the process of proving involvement in match-fixing a difficult one. (8) Furthermore, tennis is highly susceptible to corruption and match-fixing because only one person usually needs to be swayed to affect the final results of the match. (9) For example, a player who wishes to lose can not only choose to play poorly, but can also retire early in the match for reasons of illness or injury. (10) In addition, payoffs to a player to fix a match can be high because the bribe will likely only be spent on that one player. (11) As the rules and structure currently stand, and without further involvement from the international community, tennis will likely continue to face the issues of corrupt betting and match-fixing. In the wake of the recent advancements in international anti-doping, (12) some argue that a similar framework should be crafted to attack corrupt betting practices in international sports. (13) In Part II, this Comment first will illustrate the existence of corrupt betting in international tennis and will give a brief overview of the current structure of governance and methods of enforcement. Part III of this Comment will address the problems that exist with those current means of enforcement. Lastly, Part IV of this Comment will briefly review the international anti-doping framework as a guiding tool and will suggest possible methods for international reform of corrupt betting in tennis. II. THE CURRENT STATE OF CORRUPTION IN TENNIS It is difficult to craft a suggested solution to a problem without first understanding the current situation. This part of the Comment will begin with a brief overview of the match that brought corrupt betting and match-fixing to the forefront in tennis. Then, it will attempt to address the current structure of the international tennis governance community. Finally, this part of the Comment will lay out the current means for enforcement in the area of corruption in tennis. A. The "Most Notorious Match in Tennis History" On August 2, 2007, the tennis world watched what is now called by some the "most notorious match in tennis history." (14) Then-4th-ranked Nikolay Davydenko retired in a match against then-87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello at an ATP Tour, Inc. …