Miami Open tournament director James Blake fined for betting sponsorship ties

LONDON (AP) — Miami Open tournament director and former Top 10 player James Blake was fined $56,250 for violating tennis's rules about betting sponsorship, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Wednesday.

The London-based ITIA said the violation was unintentional and Blake "co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge."

If Blake breaks the rules again during an 18-month probationary period that began on Feb. 9, the agency said, he would be subject to an 18-month suspension and an additional fine of $131,250.

The sport bars people from having commercial relationships with gambling companies. In 2022, U.S. Davis Cup team coaches Mardy Fish and Bob Bryan were fined $10,000 apiece for promoting a gambling operator via social media.

"This case is more a matter of perception, rather than corruption," ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said. "The rules apply to players, coaches, officials and accredited tournament staff — who all have the ability to influence results or have access to inside information."

Blake has been the tournament director of the Miami Open since 2018. The event will be held next month.

He retired as a player in 2013 after winning 10 singles titles, getting to a career-best No. 4 in the ATP rankings and reaching the quarterfinals at three Grand Slam tournaments.

Blake, who attended Harvard before turning pro in 1999, helped the United States beat Russia in the 2007 Davis Cup final for the country's most recent title in that team event.

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