Nicolas Kicker made a surprising exit from his match against Gustavo Heide at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Florianopolis, Brazil. Kicker, trailing 6-2 in the first set and 5-1 in the second, chose to withdraw while facing a match point.
The 33-year-old, once ranked No.78 globally, holds the unfortunate record of being the highest-ranked tennis player convicted of match-fixing, leading to a six-year suspension in 2018. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reduced his ban by three years with certain conditions. Kicker was involved in fixing two Challenger matches in 2015. Following an appeal and his cooperation with the ITIA’s educational program, his suspension was further shortened by four months.
Kicker collaborated with the ITIA to create a video detailing his involvement in corruption, aiming to caution other players about the consequences of such actions. In the video, he expressed regret over jeopardizing his promising career due to a single mistake in 2015.
Acknowledging his wrong decision, Kicker revealed his reliance on his parents to support his tennis career. He recounted a distressing encounter with individuals posing as benefactors but were, in reality, part of a betting syndicate who coerced him to manipulate a match.
Despite his remorse, Kicker acknowledges the lasting impact on his reputation within the tennis community.