Miami tournament director James Blake fined $56,250 for violating betting sponsorship rules

Former world No. 4 James Blake, who has served as tournament director for the Miami Open since 2018, has been fined $56,250 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

Blake was found to have unintentionally violated his sport’s betting sponsorship rules, the ITIA announced Wednesday. He was also issued a suspended fine of $131,250 and a suspended ban of 18 months, both of which are avoidable unless he breaches policies again during an 18-month period that began February 9, 2024.

Under section D.1.b. of The Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) guidelines, “No Covered Person shall directly or indirectly, facilitate, encourage and/or promote Tennis Betting (‘Facilitation’).”

Tournament support staff, along with players and related persons fall under the “covered person” umbrella. Blake did not challenge the offense, fully cooperating with the investigation.

Said ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse, “The rules prohibit accredited individuals from having commercial relationships with betting companies. This case is more a matter of perception, rather than corruption.”

In November 2022, Blake’s former U.S. Davis Cup teammates Mardy Fish and Bob Bryan were each fined $10,000 and handed four-month suspended bans for promoting DraftKings on their social media accounts. The posts were immediately deleted.

“We urge anyone in the sport who is unclear or is considering commercial deals like this to get in touch with us to seek guidance,” concluded Moorhouse.

This year’s Miami Open begins Sunday, March 17 with women’s qualifying.