The world No 1 said he instantly rejected the bribe, and insisted he was unaware of any match-fixing now happening at the top level of tennis.
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The BBC and BuzzFeed claimed 16 top-50 players in the past decade, including Grand Slam champions, had been repeatedly suspected of fixing matches for betting syndicates.
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) chief Chris Kermode said the timing of the report was “disappointing” and rejected any suggestion that match-fixing had been covered up. “The sport has a zero-tolerance approach which is enforced with the full powers of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, which includes lifetime bans and punitive financial penalties”, the organisation said in a statement. They were in my team, and of course we threw it away right away, “Djokovic told reporters”. It didn’t even get to me. “For me, that’s an act of unsportsmanship, a crime in sport, honestly”, he said Monday.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic said he doubted the problem extended to the top level of the sport, and pointed to the enhanced monitoring systems put in place. “As long as it’s like that, it’s just speculation”.
“I don’t think (education) is done very well”.
He said: “I’ve heard about certain matches where something might have been going on”.
“We have comprehensive information sharing agreements to inform the sport’s integrity bodies and for the sport to promote licensed operators is key to ensuring transparency”, he added.
Former world No1 Roger Federer has called for suspected cheats to be named and shamed following allegations that a number of leading tennis stars may have fixed matches. Was it the support team? The two are pitted in the same half, setting them up for a potential semis showdown in a tournament, in which half of the players implicated in the report are reportedly competing. Was it before? Was it a doubles player, a singles player?
Separately, Britain’s Arvind Parmar said he turned down a cash-stuffed envelope which was offered to him an hour before a match at a second-tier Challenger tournament in the Netherlands in 2004. “It’s nonsense to answer something that is pure speculation”.
“I always have been taught and have been surrounded with people that had nurtured and respected the sport’s values”.
Djokovic condemned those involved in match-fixing, and said he is grateful he has been surrounded by honest people during his development to the top of the game.
The Serb won the Australian Open past year and beat South Korean Hyeon Chung in straight sets in the first round today.
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Tennis is the latest sport to be marred by claims of corruption after football and athletics have both been recently embroiled in controversy.
