Australian tennis great Renea Stubbs, the former coach of Serena Williams, has called out the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for its decision to suspend and fine ex men’s pro Mark Philippoussis. She labeled the decision, which comes as a result of a gambling ad voiceover by Philippoussis, “a joke.”
ITIA took to Twitter Wednesday to share its judgment on the former two-time men’s Grand Slam finalist, which includes a $10,000 fine and a four-month suspended ban:
A gaming company, which remains unnamed, paid Philippoussis for the right to record his voice and use it for commercial ends. While ITIA’s CEO Karen Moorhouse admitted in a news release that Philippoussis’ case was “clearly not one of corruption,” she said the fact he was an accredited coach meant that, directly or indirectly, promoting tennis betting was a rulebreaker that “others in the sport need to be aware of.”
Stubbs, who hosts The Power Hour and is Australia’s most successful women’s doubles tennis player, didn’t warm to the ITIA’s handling of Philippoussis. In response to news of the ITIA ruling, Stubbs tweeted:
What the hell! I mean really?? what a joke!”
Moorhouse, meanwhile, had some words of advice for athletes and those in positions like Philippoussis. She stated: “You can always talk to us if you are unsure of any rules, or are seeking clarity on any potential commercial arrangement.”