Tennis will have a new, independent body responsible for safeguarding the integrity of professional tennis from 1 January 2021 – the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The TIU has served tennis incredibly well for the last decade and the ITIA will build on its achievements to ensure that tennis is even better equipped to tackle corruption within the sport. Jennie Price, Chair Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board
The Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board, comprised of independent directors together with the sport’s international tennis organisations, confirmed the new organisation’s foundation, articles and budget at its meeting on 24 November and the new ITIA was incorporated in the UK on 2 December.
The ITIA will replace the current Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), which is currently an operationally independent arm of the ITF.
Its establishment was a key recommendation made by the 2018 Independent Review Panel, which was set up by the governing bodies of tennis to review all aspects of the sport’s anti-corruption protocols, structures and resources.
A new identity has been created for the organisation by brand and creative consultancy, Handle (www.wearehandle.co.uk), with the strap-line, ‘Tennis You Can Trust’ and its new logo will be used across all the organisation’s publications and assets from next month, while a new website at www.itia.tennis will go live in January 2021.
Jennie Price, Chair of the Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board, welcomed the ITIA to the world: “The creation of the ITIA as an independent entity has been a major part of the Board’s focus for the last year or so and it has been a real privilege to lead that process.
“It has been a challenging period for the whole sporting landscape, and I am grateful to the tennis organisations in particular, for the time and attention they have devoted to it.
“The TIU has served tennis incredibly well for the last decade and the ITIA will build on its achievements to ensure that tennis is even better equipped to tackle corruption within the sport.”
The Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board is made up of representatives from the ITF, ATP, WTA, Grand Slam Board and 5 independent members.
Jonny Gray, CEO of the ITIA said: “Establishment of the ITIA is a major milestone of the IRP recommendations. But more than that, it is a very clear signal to those within the sport that we are taking integrity extremely seriously.
“At a time of real financial hardship, when tennis organisations have missed out on significant income due to Covid-19, they have increased the budget for the work we do.
“There can be no doubt that the sport is united in its determination to root out those who would seek to corrupt the sport.”
Between now and the end of 2020, the Tennis Integrity Unit continues to administer the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP) for the sport before its staff and legal identity transfer into the ITIA.
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