The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has announced a lifetime ban for Bulgarian tennis official Pavel Atanasov following 21 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).
Atanasov, a national-level official, initially contested the charges before withdrawing his appeal ahead of a hearing. The case was adjudicated by independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Richard Young, who also imposed a $10,000 fine. The ban took effect on March 4, 2024.
By withdrawing from proceedings, Atanasov effectively admitted to multiple TACP violations between 2019 and 2023. These offenses included manipulating match scoring data for betting purposes, facilitating wagering, conspiring to commit corruption offenses, wagering on tennis matches, and failing to report corrupt approaches.
Atanasov, who has officiated at ITF $15K and $25K tournaments in Bulgaria, is permanently prohibited from officiating or attending any tennis events authorized or sanctioned by ITIA members, including the ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon, and USTA.
The ITIA, an independent body established by international tennis governing bodies, aims to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.
