Malek Jaziri(Photo: Getty Images via ATP World Tour)
The men’s tour has found no wrongdoing for a Tunisian player told to withdraw from his match against an Israeli opponent, but the International Tennis Federation is still investigating the incident.
Last week at a Challenger-level event in Tashkent, Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri pulled out of his quarterfinal match against Israel’s Amir Weintraub after receiving an email from the Tunisia Tennis Federation ordering him not to play. Jaziri also cited a knee injury.
On Wednesday, the ATP said in a statement that it had completed its investigation and relieved 165th-ranked Jaziri of any culpability.
“We have found no wrongdoing on the part of the player and all of the information we have gathered has been passed on to the ITF,” the statement said.
ITF spokeswoman Barbara Travers said its investigation of the alleged forced pullout was ongoing.
“The ITF takes any matter regarding discrimination very seriously and this incident will be discussed by the ITF Board of Directors at its regularly scheduled meeting on 31 October — 1 November in Cagliari, Italy,” Travers wrote in an email. “We have asked the Federation Tunisienne de Tennis to make any relevant submissions to the ITF ahead of that meeting.”
The ITF could bring sanctions, such as bans from Davis Cup competition, if it finds that the Tunisian federation violated regulations. The ITF is also an affiliate of the International Olympic Committee, another sphere of influence.
Travers said the ITF would have no further comment until after the board meets.
Arab countries have exercised various levels of boycotts against Israeli athletes in recent decades, mostly to protest the Palestinian situation. North Africa’s Tunisia, which inspired the “Arab Spring,” is overwhelmingly Muslim.
In 2008, the United Arab Emirates blocked Israel’s Shahar Peer from competing at the Dubai Championships. The WTA later slapped the tournament with a record $300,000 fine.
According to news reports, Jaziri’s brother, Amir, provided the email sent by the Tunisian tennis authorities to his sibling.
“Following a meeting this afternoon with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, I have the immense regret to inform you that you are ordered not to play against the Israeli player,” the federation’s email said.
