ITIA Bans Petru-Alexandru Luncanu over Wagering Breaches

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) is an independent body established by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis to safeguard the integrity of professional tennis around the globe. Its priorities include the promotion and encouragement of fair play, as well as monitoring global markets and enforcing penalties and sanctions for breaches of the established regulations.

As an independent tennis integrity body, the ITIA investigates potential breaches and different threats to the integrity of the sport. Only recently, the Agency unveiled it imposed a sanction against a player from Romania. The action against the 34-year-old tennis player, Petru-Alexandru Luncanu, included a temporary ban, as well as a fine.

The tough penalty comes after an investigation uncovered multiple breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) related to directly or indirectly facilitating tennis wagering, the ITIA said. The independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO), Raj Parker, was in charge of the case against Luncanu. From the initial seven charges, the AHO upheld five charges.

The Agency Enforces Penalty, Including Ban and Fine

According to the ITIA, the breaches of the TACP rules date between 2017 and 2021. Additionally, Parker said that an extra charge against the 34-year-old tennis player from Romania was imposed for failing to cooperate with ITIA’s investigation from last year.

Overall, for the aforementioned breaches, Luncanu was punished with a five-year ban that will be in effect through June 8, 2028. During that time, the player is forbidden from coaching at, participating or attending any tennis event that is sanctioned or authorized by the governing bodies of tennis. In addition to the temporary ban, the ITIA enforced a $40,000 financial penalty against the Romanian tennis player.

Describing the breaches in detail, the ITIA said that the tennis player breached TACP rule D.1.d., which forbids covered people, such as players, coaches or other tennis staff, from “directly or indirectly, contrive or attempt to contrive the outcome or any other aspect of any Event.”

Additionally, the ITIA said that Luncanu breached rule F.2.b. of the TACP which requires collaboration for investigations into potential breaches of the rules. On that point, Parker said that the tennis player did not cooperate as he did not consent to “their mobile phone to be analyzed when requested by an ITIA investigator.”

Finally, the ITIA said that the Romanian tennis player breached D.1.b. of the TACP. That section forbids any covered person from indirectly or directly wagering on the outcome of any tennis event under the International Governing Bodies of Tennis.