The Italian Open organisers announced on Tuesday that attendees attempting to disrupt players to influence gambling outcomes will be ejected from the venue, following multiple disturbances during the tournament.
Players have been subjected to verbal abuse and shouts from the crowd intended to affect their performance for the benefit of in-game betting, a trend tournament director Paolo Lorenzi mentioned in a statement that “has been monitored closely for a long time.”
Lorenzi refrained from citing particular incidents, but organisers have faced backlash from fans regarding the unruly behaviour of some attendees.
“We simply find it unacceptable for this activity to have any point of contact with professional tennis matches,” said Lorenzi.
Alex De Minaur was compelled to halt play before a serve in his second-round match against Luca Nardi to confront two particularly loud and hostile spectators, while Jakub Mensik had to do the same during his third-round match against Fabian Maroszan.
There has been no indication that these specific incidents were directly connected to gambling, yet live betting has emerged as a significant issue at various events.
Spectators in the front row of the stands hurl insults at players, hoping to influence match outcomes and other in-game wagers.
