Serena Williams, Gauff, Sabalenka US Open Party Draws ITIA Scrutiny

A pre-US Open party attended by several of tennis' biggest names is reportedly under investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) over its links to sports betting company DraftKings.

The event was held last week at the Crane Club in Manhattan and reportedly attracted a long list of current and former players, including Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Grigor Dimitrov, Mirra Andreeva, Taylor Fritz and Matteo Berrettini.

According to tennis insider Ben Rothenberg, the party was hosted by Miami nightlife figure and tennis enthusiast Dave Grutman and was held on behalf of DraftKings.

The presence of a betting company at an event attended by active players is understood to be the central issue attracting the ITIA's attention.

Why the US Open party has attracted ITIA attention

The players were reportedly not paid to attend the event. However, their participation at a party sponsored by a sports betting company could still raise questions under tennis' anti-corruption regulations.

Several players were photographed with Grutman in front of DraftKings branding, with the images subsequently shared on social media.

Alongside Williams, Gauff and Sabalenka, the reported attendees included Eva Lys, Alexandra Eala and Anna Kalinskaya. Former players Caroline Wozniacki and Chris Eubanks, who now work with ESPN, were also reportedly present.

The key question for the ITIA is therefore not necessarily whether players placed bets or received money, but whether their involvement in an event connected to a betting operator breached the sport's integrity rules.

What could happen to the players?

The potential consequences would depend on what the investigation establishes.

If the players simply attended without receiving compensation, they could face private warnings or other measures, according to the report.

A more serious outcome could follow if it is established that players were compensated for attending the DraftKings-sponsored event.

There is no suggestion in the supplied report that any of the named players engaged in betting-related wrongdoing, and the reported investigation should not be treated as an allegation that they committed a corruption offence.

The growing overlap between tennis and betting

The incident comes amid increasing scrutiny of the relationship between professional sport and betting and prediction-market companies.

The US Open has itself entered the wider betting conversation by adopting Kalshi as its exclusive prediction market partner, further highlighting the increasingly blurred line between sports events, athletes and wagering-related businesses.

For the ITIA, the issue is particularly sensitive because its mandate centres on protecting the integrity of professional tennis.

The investigation will determine whether the party represented a breach of those rules or simply an instance of players attending a commercial social event without violating their obligations.