READ: Full statement by tennis bodies refuting match-fixing cover-up
The world's major tennis bodies have scrambled to do damage control following allegations that match-fixing is rife in the game.
In a statement endorsed by all the major world tennis bodies on Monday, they all denied ever suppressing evidence of match-fixing following a damning report about corruption in the sport revealed by BBC and BuzzFeed, based on information obtained by various whistle blowers.
The allegations could not have surfaced at a worse time as it coincided with the start of the year's first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open in Melbourne.
The report said the probe uncovered syndicates in Russia and Italy making hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on matches investigators thought to be fixed.
It also alleged that 16 top-50 players in the past decade, including some Grand Slam champions, had been repeatedly suspected of involvement in match-fixing but had gone unpunished.
READ: Statement by the world's major tennis bodies denying a cover-up of information regarding match-fixing: