As of January 1 of this year, the sport of tennis has a new, independent body responsible for safeguarding the integrity of professional tennis: the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The London-based ITIA replaces the former Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), which was an independent arm of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The establishment of the ITIA 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.
The TIU has been a long-time client of Smith Hulsey & Busey’s sports litigation practice . Firm chairman Steve Busey played an instrumental role in drafting the uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) for the governing bodies of professional tennis worldwide. The firm will continue its work with the newly formed ITIA, including:
- Assisting with ITIA/TIU transition documents,
- Revising the TACP for 2021, and
- Continuing to bring and prosecute disciplinary proceedings against professional tennis players for TACP violations, both before initial hearing officers and in appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“It is a privilege for our firm to continue assisting the ITIA in its important work,” said Busey. “We look forward to our ongoing partnership in making the sport the best it can be.”
In addition to the firm’s assistance in drafting and revising the TACP and assisting in the transition from the TIU to the ITIA, Smith Hulsey & Busey has represented the TIU in disciplinary proceedings against more than 30 professional tennis players for violations of the TACP.
“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,” said Jennie Price, Chair of the Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board. “It has been a challenging period for the whole sporting landscape, and I am grateful to the tennis organizations 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 other members of the Smith Hulsey & Busey sports litigation practice include Chris Dix , John MacLennan and John Thomas .
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