Flores, a white badge umpire, was fined $15,000 (£11,673/€13,609) by the ITIA for breaching the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP). From November 2021 to October 2022, he committed 31 breaches, which involved manipulating scores for betting purposes by entering incorrect data into the umpire’s handheld device.
Flores did not contest the charges and his suspension was backdated to 8 December 2022. The ITIA reduced his suspension by three years due to mitigating circumstances, including his early admission of charges. Consequently, Flores is suspended until 7 December 2034 and is prohibited from officiating or attending any tennis events authorized by the governing bodies.
The ITIA identified specific breaches of the TACP, which included various sections of the 2021 and 2022 editions. These breaches involved facilitating or promoting tennis betting, manipulating scoring data, reporting corruption approaches, and soliciting others to commit a corruption offense.
In collaboration with the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the ITIA is undertaking an initiative to educate young players about integrity in tennis. All players with an active Juniors International Player Identification Number (IPIN) are required to complete a mandatory education module. This module introduces them to values and integrity in tennis, including information about the TACP and Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
The ITIA chief executive, Karen Moorhouse, stated that mandatory education is a positive step towards strengthening integrity in the sport. She emphasized that by engaging with players at an early stage of their careers, they provide support and ensure that topics such as anti-doping are approached as educational opportunities rather than tests.
The CEO of the ITF, Kelly Fairweather, expressed the organization’s commitment to preparing junior players for all aspects of the tour. The launch of these mandatory education modules is seen as a crucial part of that preparation, equipping players with the necessary skills and knowledge to progress through the ITF pathway and beyond.
