"Not even remotely surprised": James Blake breaking betting rules doesn't feign shock from tennis fans

Fans reacted to the sanction on James Blake after the fine for ties to betting sponsorships. The current director of the Miami Open violated the betting regulation, wherein tennis players, coaches, officials, and tournament organizers are not allowed to have commercial ties with betting companies.

The fine was $56,250 imposed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, and Blake must adhere to an 18-month probation period, facing the threat of a larger fine exceeding $131,250 in the event of another breach of the rule.

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The ITIA confirmed the sanction on Wednesday, February 21, emphasizing that Blake fully cooperated with the investigation: "Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge," the ITIA wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Journalist Ben Rothernberg shared the news and commented on the growing culture of betting, especially in the United States: “This is, by my count, the third time a prominent retired American player has gotten penalized over a tennis betting sponsorship. As legal betting explodes across America, the money on offer is forcing errors," he wrote on X.

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The fans' reaction was swift, with many expressing that they were not surprised by the situation, given that the United States is one of the countries where sports betting is prevalent.

"Not even remotely surprised about this, considering all the shady bs I know happens behind the scenes (not just betting-related). And yes, betting infects sports globally, but the USA is its epicentre... with USTA, Tennis Channel & most of the tournaments very heavily involved," some fan wrote.

Another fan expressed the opinion that the rule should be applied "at every level: “If this doesn’t apply at every level, it can’t apply at any. You can’t have a situation where organisations can have betting sponsorships but individuals can’t. It can be a conflict of interest for orgs too”

Here are some other reactions from fans on social media:

Sanna

@sanna_tw

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disappointed☹️

International Tennis Integrity Agency

@itia_tennis

Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.

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Mert Ertunga

@MertovsTDesk

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“Across our members – the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slams – the rules prohibit accredited individuals from having commercial relationships with betting companies." ATP/WTA tournaments can have betting companies as sponsors but tournament directors better stay away from them...

International Tennis Integrity Agency

@itia_tennis