Serena Williams’ ex-coach livid as former Wimbledon star fined for rule break
The former coach of Serena Williams has reacted with shock and anger after the International Tennis Integrity Agency slapped an enormous tremendous on Mark Philippoussis for breaching betting sponsorship guidelines.
The Australian, who was a overwhelmed finalist on the US Open in 1998 earlier than repeating the feat at Wimbledon 5 years later, now works as a coach on the worldwide tennis circuit. But the 46-year-old has been slapped with a close to £8,000 tremendous by ITIA after receiving cost for doing voiceover work on promotional content material for a gaming firm.
A shocked Rennae Stubbs, who was a part of the crew that coached 23-times grand slam winner Williams in her swansong on the 2022 US Open, took to social media to precise her disgust.
Stubbs tweeted: “What the hell! I mean really?? What a joke!”
ITIA pointers stipulate that ‘accredited people’ mustn’t undertake industrial relationships with betting firms.
ITIA CEO, Karen Moorhouse stated: “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.”
Moorhouse has accepted that Philippoussis had not carried out any act of corruption however used the sanction, which additionally included a four-month suspended ban, to warn gamers and coaches to stay acutely aware of guidelines round betting within the sport.
She added: “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.”
The ITIA added that Philippoussis had cooperated nicely in the course of the investigation course of and that he is not going to must serve his four-month ban offering that there aren’t any additional breaches of the foundations by the Australian in the course of the specified interval.
Philippoussis reached a career-high of world No. 8 in 1999 after shedding the US Open last to Patrick Rafter a yr earlier. He amassed 11 singles titles throughout his profession however couldn’t convert a grand slam, shedding his solely different main last look to Roger Federer in straight units at Wimbledon in 2003.
Away from tennis, the Aussie – who’s nicknamed ‘the Scud’ – has loved a brief stint in modelling work and starred within the American actuality TV courting present ‘Age of Love’.