3 Wimbledon Matches May Have Been Fixed

A report last year warned that match-fixing was a problem in tennis. But at Wimbledon? The sport's independent watchdog group said Wednesday that three matches during this year's event seemed a little fishy and are being investigated, reports USA Today. The Tennis Integrity Unit didn't name names, but it said two of the matches took place during qualifying rounds and the third in the main round. In a release, it stressed that this doesn't mean the matches were fixed, only that it had received alerts about strange betting behavior that warranted a closer look. In addition to the Wimbledon matches, one at the French Open also is under investigation.

The unit noted that other factors such as "incorrect odds-setting; well-informed betting; player fitness, fatigue and form; playing conditions and personal circumstances" could explain the anomalies. Alerts aren't uncommon in the sport—the unit has received 83 so far this year, down from 121 during the same span last year—but BuzzFeed News reports that this is only the second time one has been reported at Wimbledon. Those watching this year may recall an unusually high number of players dropping out because of injury in the early rounds—players may have wanted to collect appearance fees, then bail—but the Guardian reports that the new alerts aren't related to that. (More Wimbledon stories.)