LONDON: Dutch tennis coach Max Wenders has been banned from the sport for 12 years for match-fixing, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Wednesday.
The ITIA said Wenders admitted to “multiple match-fixing charges” and also admitted to destroying evidence and failing to report a corrupt approach.
One of the charges against Wenders came under a rule which forbids people involved with tennis to “directly or indirectly, facilitate any Player to not use his or her best efforts in any Event.” The ITIA didn’t say when or where the alleged conduct happened, and it didn’t name any players.
The ITIA said Wenders was banned and fined $12,000 at a hearing in April 2021 but that the sanctions weren’t published until now following submissions from Wenders’ legal team. He is not allowed to attend any tennis tournament authorized by the sport’s main governing bodies until 2033.
Wenders had reportedly worked with several players on the WTA Tour as a coach, assistant or hitting partner.