World No.2 Iga Swiatek was reluctant to weigh in on the issue of gambling in tennis when put on the spot at Indian Wells. The Polish star is currently preparing for her last-64 clash with Caroline Garcia on Friday, having been handed a bye in the first round. Betting in professional sports is a growing phenomenon, with fans now able to place wagers online during live action.
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) currently bans professional tennis players from gambling on matches. This regulation includes conspiring to bet on outcomes or soliciting others to do so. Last year, six players were issued varying suspensions for their links to a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium. Speaking in her press conference at Indian Wells, Swiatek replied hesitantly when asked if the concept of gambling was good or bad for her sport, given the revenue it generated.
“Oh, I don’t think I’m ready to answer that question because I never really thought about that much, because I always thought that this is how it is,” she said. “There’s no point to think if it’s good or bad, because it’s always going to be there since it’s big business.”
Concerns have been raised over disgruntled punters targeting players with online abuse after accusing them of costing them betting windfalls. And Swiatek, who in November was handed a one-month ban for producing a positive test for a banned substance, conceded there was little the authorities could do to prevent internet trolling.
“For sure, we as players feel the negative comments and hate, because people are sometimes losing money because we lose or because we win,” she added. So, this is what impacts us. For sure, I feel like it’s not positive and not good at all.
“But, you know, hate is going to be out there on the Internet anyway. People put out on the Internet whatever they want, because it’s easy. But the whole concept of gambling and business, you know, behind it, I’m not really that well-oriented to really say. Sorry.”
Madison Keys was also pressed on the issue this week. Keys has previously been vocal about the plagues of online abuse in tennis and, like Swiatek, thinks the issue is too complex to just label a positive or negative.
“I don’t think it’s a black-and-white answer, just because I think it depends on who you’re asking,” she said. “At the end of the day a lot of the tournaments make a lot of money from the partnerships that they have with betting companies. That’s what keeps us having jobs.”
