The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), dedicated to upholding the sport’s integrity, has confirmed lifetime bans for Slovenian player Nastja Kolar and American player Alexandra Riley. Both athletes were found to have violated the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) on multiple occasions and will also face significant fines.
Independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Ian Mill KC, who reviewed the case, revealed that Kolar and Riley committed 25 and 15 offenses, respectively, between 2015 and 2022. Initially handed provisional suspensions in March, the seriousness of their violations has now led to lifetime bans. Their breaches included match manipulation, wagering, facilitating wagering, courtsiding, conspiracy, and failing to report corrupt approaches.
The ITIA announced that Kolar will be fined $175,000, close to the maximum penalty of $250,000, while Riley will be fined $50,000. AHO Mill emphasized that these fines reflect the gravity of their corruption offenses, noting that neither player demonstrated any remorse.
Kolar, who once ranked inside the top 200 for singles and doubles, was found guilty of manipulating aspects of six matches and conspiring with Riley in four games. Her violations also included wagering on tennis, facilitating wagering through courtsiding, and failing to report Riley’s corrupt activities.
Riley, whose highest WTA singles ranking was 691 in 2015, was guilty of manipulating aspects of five matches, wagering on matches she competed in, facilitating wagering by courtsiding, failing to preserve evidence, and failing to report Kolar’s offenses.
The lifetime bans are effective from March 14, 2023, the date the players were initially suspended. For further details, refer to the ITIA’s official website.
In related news, the ITIA recently banned Petru-Alexandru Luncanu for wagering breaches and previously fined and banned an umpire for fixing games.
