British player Oliver Golding, who recently returned from retirement, says tennis authorities are doing little to protect players who turn in match fixers.
Speaking to ITV, Golding detailed his own experience with being approached to fix a match, saying that Alexandros Jakupovic, said he would give him 2,000 Euros to drop the first set and then allow him to win the match.
"You hear about these sort of things happening and you’re aware it is a problem," said Golding, though he added that it was the first time he had been approached.
Golding told authorities, and Jakupovic has since been banned from the tour. But they also said that his involvement was not kept confidential. Jakupovic was allowed to keep playing, and it took more than a year for a hearing to be held. Golding added, according to ITV, that the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) did not help familiarize him with the hearing process.
"I’ve never been questioned by lawyers," he said." I almost felt a little bit guilty for reporting him."
The TIU responded that protecting players is a priority. "The TIU investigator involved believes she made every effort to keep in contact with the witness and provide him with support," it told ITV.
It's not an experience he particularly wants to repeat, either way. “I’m sure I did do the right thing, but it is a tough process," said Golding.
Match-fixing has been perceived as a problem at the lower levels of the sport for several years. It is usually tied to betting, with those involved also wagering large sums on pre-arranged encounters.
According to industry figures, tennis is the third most gambled-on sport in the world.
The TIU was formed by the governing bodies of tennis in response to increasing amounts of suspicious betting, which can be an indication of match-fixing. There has been increased scrutiny following a BBC investigation published during the 2015 Australian Open, which said more efforts were required.