World No. 2 Iga Swiatek dodged a loaded question about gambling in tennis during her Indian Wells presser, sidestepping a firm stance. The Polish ace, gearing up for her last-64 showdown with Caroline Garcia on Friday after a first-round bye, faced the hot topic as betting booms in pro sports, with fans now wagering live online.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) clamps down hard—players are barred from betting on matches, fixing outcomes, or nudging others to do it. Last year, six got slapped with suspensions tied to a Belgian match-fixing ring. Quizzed on whether gambling’s cash flow helps or hurts tennis, Swiatek hesitated.
“Oh, I’m not prepped for that one—I’ve never really chewed it over,” she said. “No point in me debating good or bad—it’s baked in, always will be. It’s big money.”
Online, pissed-off bettors have been known to hurl abuse at players, blaming them for tanked wagers—Swiatek, herself hit with a one-month ban in November 2024 for a positive test, shrugged that authorities can’t tame the trolls. Madison Keys, also grilled this week, echoed the murkiness. A vocal critic of digital hate, she sees no easy answer.
“It’s not cut-and-dry,” Keys said. “Depends who you ask. Tournaments rake in cash from betting sponsors—that’s what keeps our paychecks coming.”
