Former world No. 5 tennis player banned from competition for 2 years

05/11/2025 07:45:00 PANDATV

This severe penalty effectively ends the career of the player who once ranked in the ATP Tour top 5.

After a turbulent 2024 marked by doping controversies involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, the tennis world seemed poised for a quiet 2025. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) recently shocked the tennis community by announcing strict sanctions against Spanish doubles specialist David Marrero and Tunisia’s Davis Cup captain Malek Jaziri for violations related to the buying and selling of wildcards.

According to an official statement from ITIA, Marrero—who reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 5 in November 2013—admitted to paying and offering payments to secure wildcards for himself or his doubles partners on four occasions during 2022 and 2023. The agency confirmed that Marrero’s actions constitute serious breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).

Specifically, Marrero has been banned from competition for 2 years and 7 months and fined $15,000. The ban is effective from October 21, 2025, to May 20, 2028. At 45 years old, this punishment essentially brings the career of the player known for his skillful play and strong doubles teamwork to an end.

Cựu số 5 tennis thế giới bị cấm thi đấu 2 năm 734928 — David Marrero (right) with fellow player Fernando Verdasco celebrating their men’s doubles title at the 2018 Rio Open.

In connection with the case, Malek Jaziri—a former Tunisian player who achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 42—has also been suspended for 9 months and fined $5,000. ITIA stated that Jaziri was directly involved in one of Marrero’s violations. His ban runs from October 28, 2025, to July 27, 2026.

During their suspensions, both Marrero and Jaziri are prohibited from all tennis-related activities, including playing, coaching, or participating in any tournaments sanctioned or recognized by ITIA member organizations such as ATP, WTA, ITF, or USTA.

For Jaziri, this sanction could cost him his position as captain of the Tunisian Davis Cup team, as the ban strictly forbids involvement in any tennis activities throughout the suspension period.

"We were established to protect and uphold the integrity of professional tennis. Any acts of buying or selling wildcards or breaching anti-corruption rules will be dealt with severely."ITIA emphasized.

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