"For me, that's an act of unsportsmanship, a crime in sport" - When Novak Djokovic revealed he was offered $290,000 for match-fixing
Novak Djokovic once revealed that he was approached to fix a match and reportedly offered $290,000 when he was a teenager in 2006. The Serb described feeling "terrible" about the incident.
In a televised program in 2016, the BBC, in collaboration with Buzzfeed, claimed that their joint investigation uncovered that the TIU (Tennis Integrity Unit) had several players, including eight in the main draw of the Australian Open for years over match-fixing suspicions. However, the TIU later denied their claim.
Djokovic, who was competing in the Melbourne Slam that year as the defending champion, spoke to the media and recalled how he was indirectly approached to fix a match, which his team promptly rejected.
"I was not approached directly," the 24-time Grand Slam champion said (via The Guardian). "I was approached through people that were working with me at that time. Of course, we threw it away right away. It didn't even get to me, the guy that was trying to talk to me, didn't even get to me directly. There was nothing out of it."
"Unfortunately, in those times [there were] rumours, some talks, some people were going around. They were dealt with. In the last six, seven years, I haven't heard anything similar. I personally was never approached directly, so I have nothing more to say about that," he added.
The Serb also mentioned that the incident made him feel "terrible" because he didn't want his name associated with such activities and described it as an act of "unsportsmanship."
"[The approach] made me feel terrible because I don't want to be anyhow linked to this kind of thing. Somebody may call it an opportunity. For me, that's an act of unsportsmanship, a crime in sport, honestly. I don't support it," Novak Djokovic said.
"I think there is no room for it in any sport, especially in tennis. I always have been taught and have been surrounded with people that had nurtured and respected the sport's values. That's the way I've grown up. Fortunately for me, I didn't need to get directly involved in these particular situations," he added.
Novak Djokovic won Australian Open 2016
Novak Djokovic successfully defended his title at the 2016 Australian Open, defeating Andy Murray in a rematch of the previous year's final. With this victory, the Serbian player secured his 11th Grand Slam title.
On his way to the trophy, Djokovic defeated players such as Chung Hyeon, Quentin Halys, Andreas Seppi, Gilles Simon, Kei Nishikori, and Roger Federer before triumphing over Murray in the final.