ITIA crackdown: Former doubles top 5 player and Davis Cup Captain suspended for corruption

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced two players who accepted sanctions from the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP), including a former doubles Top 5 player. Spanish tennis player David Marrero, from Spain, admitted to paying and offering to pay to receive wildcards for himself and/or his doubles partner.

According to the ITIA, the 45-year-old player admitted to engaging in these actions—which violate the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program—on four occasions between 2022 and 2023. He is joined by the Davis Cup Captain of Tunisia, Malek Jaziri, another former player, who was suspended for 9 months.

Both players accepted their guilt and will be subject to suspensions and significant fines from the ITIA. "45-year-old tennis player David Marrero, from Spain, admitted to paying and offering to pay for wildcards for themselves and/or their doubles partner on four occasions across 2022 and 2023," stated the ITIA, adding he "has been suspended for a period of two years and seven months."

"41-year-old Tunisian Malek Jaziri, a former tennis player and current captain of the Tunisian Davis Cup team, has been suspended for nine months and fined $5,000 (of which $2,500 is suspended), after admitting to involvement in one breach of the TACP’s wildcard rules with Marrero. Jaziri’s period of ineligibility began on 28 October 2025 and will end on 27 July 2026."

Both players are prohibited from playing, coaching, or attending any authorized or associated event by the ITIA, including Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, ITF, or any other national association.

Although Marrero’s best position in the ATP singles ranking was World No. 143 (in February 2010), the Spanish player lifted the Doubles Masters Cup with Fernando Verdasco in 2013, a title that propelled him to the fifth position in the doubles ranking. He retired from singles tennis in 2022 but continued competing in doubles until last August, which is stipulated as his last match: a defeat against the Dutch pair Donders/Verbeek 6-2, 7-5 at the M25 tournament in Oldenzaal (Netherlands).

In Jaziri's case, who ended his career a year ago in Dubai, his best ranking in the ATP Tour singles was in 2019, reaching World No. 42. He won one singles title in Istanbul against Taro Daniel, had a couple of appearances in the third round of the Australian Open, and reached the semi-finals of the US Open 2018 in doubles alongside Radu Albot.