Novak Djokovic: "Marco Trungelliti did not deserve such treatment, he showed courage and audacity to protect the integrity of the sport"

Novak Djokovic has hailed Marco Trungelliti for his courage and integrity and expressed sympathy for the difficulties he had to endure for it.

In 2015, Trungelliti was approached by certain people who told him that he could earn up to $100,000 for fixing a match at the ATP tour level. He turned them down and reported the incident to the Tennis Integrity Unit, which launched an investigation that resulted in bans for his compatriots Nicolas Kicker, Patricio Heras, and Federico Coria.

Though Trungelliti was praised by tennis authorities for his actions, his life turned upside down in the aftermath, and he was forced to flee Buenos Aires with many calling him a snitch.

Having recently returned home after being in Andorra for a few years, the Argentine gave an interview where he praised Djokovic for his work with the Professional Tennis Players Association.

"What Djokovic and [Vasek] Pospisil are doing also seems essential. I ran into Djokovic at the US Open and thanked him for what he's doing for the players," he told La Nacional.

Djokovic responded to Trungelliti's statement by praising his actions and said that he conveyed his thanks via his sparring partner Carlos Gomes.

"I saw what he said and I immediately told Charlie to contact him and thank him for his kind words, since the two of them are in direct contact. Also, since I didn't know about his situation and what he was going through in the previous three or four years, I can say that I am very sorry for all of that," the Serbian said. (via sport.blic)

"He did not deserve such treatment at all because he showed courage and audacity to protect the integrity of the sport by coming forward with the fact that someone had approached him and offered to cheat on matches for betting purposes. I greatly appreciate when someone has such an attitude because they are, in general, a minority," he added.

---

Novak Djokovic extends support to Marco Trungelliti, offers to help him in the future

Novak Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Novak Djokovic is well aware of the prevalence of match-fixers in the tennis ecosystem, having once been offered $200,000 (£140,000) to lose a first-round match in the St. Petersburg Open in Russia.

It was later reported that Djokovic received the match-fixing offer at the 2007 St. Petersburg Open, which was ignored immediately by those who were working with him as a part of his team.

In light of Marco Trungelliti's actions and the hardships he faced, the Serbian offered to help the Argentine in the future and expressed happiness at the fact that he could finally return to his country after being away for many years.

"I'm glad he was able to get back to his country, and I told Charlie to ask him if he needed any help of any kind and to tell him I'm always there, as I am for all of them, especially the boys and girls, who go through a very thorny path in order to succeed in continuing to engage in professional sports and to make a living from it to some extent," he stated.