Three Wimbledon matches flagged for potential match-fixing

None of the bigger names in the sport are likely to be involved, but this could still end up as a black eye for tennis’ most tradition-drenched event.

Tennis has had problems with allegations of match-fixing before, but rarely do they trickle into the sport’s biggest tournaments. Alas, Wimbledon is now squarely in the eye of the Tennis Integrity Unit, an independent agency that looks into suspicious matches and roots out potential corruption in tennis.

(Also, love that straightforward name. Tennis Integrity Unit should be a CBS prime time drama.)

According to Buzzfeed, the Tennis Integrity Unit is investigating three matches from Wimbledon, two from the qualifying rounds and one during the main competition. The matches were named during the organization’s quarterly report, which also included one match from the French Open.

Matches are usually flagged by betting operators who notice suspicious patterns in the way money is being wagered. While these alerts alone aren’t proof that anything is necessarily amiss, they do often serve as an impetus for closer scrutiny.

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Match-fixing is hardly a new issue for the tennis world at large. Early last year, ESPN reported on Buzzfeed and the BBC teaming for an extensive report on potential issues that named no names but insinuated that fixes could be going on even at the highest levels of tennis. And earlier in 2017, the New York Post told the story of Oliver Anderson, a former Australian Open juniors champ who pleaded guilty to intentionally losing the first set of his first-round match in a different Australian tournament.

But Wimbledon would be a much bigger and more damaging can of worms if it was found that players were losing sets or matches on purpose there. Expect to see a lot more coverage of the TIU’s findings if it digs up any dirt at the All England Club.