The International Tennis Federation has called a halt to the three-year sponsorship deal for both the Davis Cup and Fed Cup that it signed with online gaming operator Betway in 2015.
With the period of sponsorship not yet at the halfway mark, ITF president Dave Haggerty told news broadcaster CNN that, as part of a new policy, the ITF would no longer partner with betting companies.
Haggerty told CNN that the ITF was committed to ending match-fixing; inferring a conflict of interest with commercial deals with betting companies.
The move follows on-court verbal abuse of players and “trolling” on social media, with observers suggesting that court branding from betting companies could encourage spectators to try to influence the outcome of the match by attacking players verbally or online.
A spokesman for William Hill told CNN that the move was "akin to blaming high street chemists for doping players," while Betway told the broadcaster that "unfortunately the nature of social media will often highlight a vocal minority that behave in an irresponsible way."
The Betway spokesman added: "We don't see the correlation between bookmaker sponsorship and internet bullying, which unfortunately exists in all walks of life."
