Tennis match-fixing: Novak Djokovic plays down allegations

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Novak Djokovic says match-fixing is not prevalent at the top level of tennis, as allegations of corruption overshadow the start of the Australian Open.

The world number one, who claims he rejected £110,000 to lose a match early in his career, says there is “no real proof” of fixing among the elite.

“It’s just speculation,” said the Serb 10-time Grand Slam champion.

The BBC and BuzzFeed News have obtained secret files that contain evidence of suspected match-fixing in tennis.

Those files indicate that, over the past decade, 16 players who have been ranked in the world’s top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches.

All of the players, including winners of Grand Slam titles, were allowed to continue competing.