Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis admits being offered money to throw games
Injured Australian young gun Thanasi Kokkinakis is the latest tennis player to confess they’ve been offered money to throw a game.
While he dismissed it as little more than comments from ‘randoms’ on social media, Kokkinakis told 3AW Breakfast it wasn’t uncommon for him to be propositioned.
The BBC revealed on Monday 16 former and current players had been investigated over alleged corruption, with World No.1 Novak Djokovic later detailing an indirect offer of US$200,000 to fix a match in 2006.
‘You just try and block it out,’ Kokkinakis said.
‘Obviously there’s no time for it ? it corrupts the sport.’
WATCH: Thanasi Kokkinakis joins Ross and John in studio.
Kokkinakis said he didn’t know the people making the offers and he didn’t pay any serious attention to them.
The talented 19-year-old also went on to reveal his shoulder injury, which has kept him out of this year’s Australian Open, came as a result of playing basketball with mates.
‘The coaches won’t like me saying it, but a while ago somebody actually landed on me while I was playing basketball and almost dislocated my shoulder,’ Kokkinakis explained.
‘It was OK after, but ever since then it got worse and worse.’
He said he did ‘everything he could’ to be fit for the Australian summer but won’t return to the court until April.
Click PLAY below to hear Thanasi Kokkinakis chat with Ross and John.