A pre-US Open party attended by prominent tennis stars, including Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, and Aryna Sabalenka, is under investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) due to its sponsorship by sports gambling company DraftKings.
The event, a lavish dinner hosted by Miami nightlife entrepreneur David Grutman, took place on August 27 at the Crane Club in Manhattan. Photos from the party, shared by Grutman on Instagram, showed players posing with DraftKings branding.
An ITIA spokesperson confirmed awareness of the event and stated that the agency is "looking into the circumstances and details." The investigation centers on potential violations of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, which places strict restrictions on players' engagement with gambling entities.
Specifically, the program's Rule D.1.b prohibits "Covered Persons" from facilitating, encouraging, or promoting tennis betting. Rule D.1.q further states that Covered Persons cannot endorse, be employed by, sponsored by, or otherwise engaged by a tennis betting operator.
According to reports, players were not compensated for attending the private dinner. Some attendees, like Anna Kalinskaya, indicated they were unaware of DraftKings' commercial involvement prior to arriving, stating they attended to socialize with friends.
Grutman, who maintains friendships with many professional tennis players and lists DraftKings as a brand partner on his website, hosted the party shortly before the US Open began. Other notable attendees included Matteo Berrettini, Taylor Fritz, Alexandra Eala, and former player and ESPN commentator Caroline Wozniacki.
