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Stefanos Tsitsipas' former coach Mark Philippoussis has been found in violation of tennis betting sponsorships rules. In light of the breach, the Aussie has been fined $10,000 and also handed a 4-month suspended ban.
Mark Philippoussis took Tsitsipas under his coaching wing last season. However, the duo's short-lasting partnership ended shortly before this season's French Open.
"It was a great ride and experience, I’m proud of what we achieved together in the short amount of time we had. I wish you health, happiness and success for your future, on and off the court!" Philippousis wrote on social media announcing their split.
On Thursday, June 26, Philippoussis was sanctioned by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for breaching tennis betting sponsorship guidelines. The breach took place after he received payment for providing a voiceover to promotional content for a gaming operator.
Under the ITIA regulations, his status as an "accredited individual" obligates him to adhere to certain rules with betting operators and bars him to pursue any commercial relationships with them.
“As a sport, tennis has decided that accredited individuals should not have commercial relationships with betting companies given their potential ability to influence matches, access to inside information, and therefore the perception of such relationships," said ITIA CEO, Karen Moorhouse.
"Whilst this case is clearly not one of corruption, it is a rule that players, coaches, and others in the sport need to be aware of. Our message to players and others covered by the TACP is that you can always talk to us if you are unsure of any rules, or are seeking clarity on any potential commercial arrangement," she added.
Mark Philippoussis was slapped with a $10,000 fine and issued a 4-month suspended ban which came into effect on 21 July 2023. However, the suspension will remain dormant if there is no further breach of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP) during the stipulated period.
Stefanos Tsitsipas' 2023 season so far
Stefanos Tsitsipas has had a topsy-turvy 2023 season so far. The 24-year-old secured a spot in the final of the Australian Open to kickstart the year, where he suffered a straight-sets loss at the hands of Novak Djokovic. Later into the season, Tsitsipas made it to the Barcelona Open final. However, he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.
Since then, however, his results have not been as exemplary and Tsitsipas is yet to win a title this season. The Greek's most recent participation came at Wimbledon, where he was defeated by Christopher Eubanks in the Round of 16. Despite pocketing the first set, the No. 5 seed was outlasted by the American pro in a five-set thriller, 3-6, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
