EXCLUSIVE: ONE ON ONE WITH MARINKO MATOSEVIC

·30 min·3 clips

Former top-40 player Marinko Matosevic admits he stupidly did a blood transfusion in Mexico in 2018.

Host Brett Phillips introduces the episode by noting that former Australian tennis player and coach Marinko Matosevic was under investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and has now issued a statement. Matosevic joins for an exclusive one-on-one interview. He explains that health issues in 2017, including respiratory viruses, led to a drop in fitness. In February 2018, while playing an ATP Challenger in Mexico, he underwent a blood transfusion, a prohibited method, in a desperate attempt to improve his health. He felt immediate regret and retired shortly after at age 32. The ITIA launched an investigation in May 2024, triggered by a photo from another player's phone. Matosevic describes the ITIA's process as corrupt, citing aggressive tactics like threatening to take his accreditation if he didn't hand over his phone at the Rome Masters. The investigation included an interview in Saudi Arabia where he was offered a 75% reduction if he cooperated. He faces three additional charges based on text messages: one about 'Nazi product,' another about clenbuterol, and a third about Zempic advice. Matosevic calls these charges bogus and laughable, arguing they are based on thought crimes. He has decided not to attend the scheduled hearing and cease all communication with the ITIA. He discusses the ITIA's focus on technicalities, such as claiming he never officially retired, which could affect a potential ban. Matosevic criticizes the agency for unequal treatment of top versus lower-ranked players. He alleges widespread legal cheating in tennis through therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) for IV drips and Adderall. He shares an anecdote about a GP in Melbourne with an IV menu used by tennis players. Matosevic mentions contacting the ATP for help but receiving no response. He reflects on his future, noting he has taken a spiritual path with plant medicines and meditation. He praises his coaching work with Chris O'Connell and Jordan Thompson but is currently on a break. The interview concludes with Matosevic questioning the ITIA's $20 million budget and wasteful spending on business-class travel.

As heard by us

Matosevic gives a direct account of the ITIA investigation, disputed evidence, and why he stopped cooperating.

Marinko Matosevic's choice to step away from an ITIA investigation gives The First Serve a pointed tennis interview shaped around his own version of events.

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Why you'd press play

You get Matosevic's own ITIA account, from the pressured phone handover to his plan to stop communicating and skip the hearing.

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