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You would think the word is out by now or that it’s just common sense – that if you’re considered a “covered person” involved in pro tennis, you can’t accept a betting sponsorship.

But six weeks after Miami Open tournament director and former world No. 4 James Blake was hit with a large fine for breaching tennis’s betting sponsorship rules, former French Open doubles champion Luis Horna of Peru has gone down the same path.

Horna, now 43, “entered into a contract with a betting operator to provide professional services and promote tennis betting,” per the ITIA, which assessed a $10,000 fine and a six-month suspended ban.

“Upon receiving contact from the ITIA, Horna expressed remorse, withdrew from the arrangement and deleted all promotional material related to the betting brand,” the release stated. “There is no suggestion of any corrupt behaviour linked to the rule violation, and the ITIA accepted that the violation was inadvertent.”

That the fine was relatively small compared to that assessed to Blake surely is a matter of degree. The American is the tournament director at a Masters 1000, the Miami Open. He also acts as an unofficial mentor to Canadian Denis Shapovalov.

Thanks to James Blake for being a part of the @BetRivers family.

— BetRivers Sportsbook (@BetRivers) January 8, 2022

Horna, who reached No. 33 in singles and No. 15 in doubles with six titles – including an out-of-nowhere title at Roland Garros in 2008 over the far more accomplished Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic in the final (with Pablo Cuevas), is a tournament director at the Challenger level, at the event in Lima.

It may also well have to do with the size and remuneration of the deal he had.

Horna also is the Peruvian Davis Cup captain.

Blake hit with monster fine

Less than a month before the tournament he runs got under way, Blake, 44, was assessed a whopping fine of $56,250 US, along with a further suspended fine of $131,250 and an 18-month suspended ban.

Neither of the latter two sanctions (as with Horna’s ban) kick in unless there is a further breach of the rules.

Blake’s association with a betting company was right out there for all to see, but it took awhile for the ITIA to get on it.

He should have known better, as his contemporaries Mardy Fish and Bob Bryan were both fined $10,000 for promoting a betting operator on social media two years ago. Bryan was retired; Fish was the Davis Cup captain. Aussie Mark Philipoussis got a $10,000 fine and a four-month suspended ban after he did a voiceover for an gaming operator ad.

As far back as 2018, then top-20 doubles player Robert Farah got $5,000 and a three-month suspended ban when this Tweet appeared oh-so briefly on social media.

(We spotted it, though, before he deleted it).

Farah (briefly) promotes betting site

Do what I say, not what I do

All of this, of course, is somewhat hypocritical as tournaments are regularly sponsored by betting operators – including Blake’s tournament, the Miami Open.

The Tennis Channel, among many other networks, regularly makes betting an integral part of its broadcast and undoubtedly adds much to the bottom line.

Which makes you realize where the line is.

For example, Mark Knowles is a regular commentator on Tennis Channel. And he’s currently a coach on the WTA Tour, working with Jessica Pegula.

And Andy Roddick, who also appears regularly on the Tennis Channel, was seen in advertisements on the giant screens at the Miami Open for the tournament’s official betting operator.

(It’s actually pretty amusing).

In Roddick’s case, you have to assume his employer (and not himself) benefiting from that sponsorship on Tennis Channel makes the point moot, as it would for anyone appearing on the broadcasts.

And, that his personal sponsorship with Betway doesn’t come into play because he is not “involved” in tennis in any official capacity at the moment.

He did work with Coco Gauff briefly in the offseason, on her serve.

Perhaps that sponsorship is lucrative enough that he might not field any offers to return to the game in any official capacity. Because if he did, and didn’t end his association with Betway, he would likely face the same sanctions as Horna or Blake.

“Across our members – the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slams – the rules prohibit accredited individuals from having commercial relationships with betting companies,” ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said, commenting about the Blake case. “This case is more a matter of perception, rather than corruption. The rules apply to players, coaches, officials and accredited tournament staff – who all have the ability to influence results or have access to inside information.”

The thing about that is that a tournament itself (because of the people who work for it) has that same ability. Including – not exclusively – the temptation to rig a draw, or schedule a court, or a number of other subtle things that can influence the outcomes of matches.

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