Who is Calum Puttergill? Australian Player Hopes Blake Ellis Partnership Helps Him Mount Comeback After 2017 Scandal

Calum Puttergill is back playing tennis after a difficult few years. The Australian tennis player was banned in 2017 for six months after he was charged for betting. According to the Tennis Integrity Unit, Puttergill was banned and charged a fine of $10000 USD, which is a lot of money in US dollars and that too for a lower-ranked player. But now, the Australian is attracting interest from the fans as he is back competing at the Challenger Burnie II, where he is playing with fellow Aussie, Blake Ellis.

Calum Puttergill was fined for placing 291 bets on tennis matches between May 2012 and November 2014. Although, the Australian did not put on a single bet in matches featuring him, his defense was short=lived. According to rules, a professional player cannot place bets on any professional tennis matches.

During the time he was suspended, Puttergill fell down in the rankings and since found it hard to mount a memorable comeback. Now, aged 30, the Australian has teamed up with Blake Ellis and competing in Challenger Burnie II in 2024. Blake Ellis is a young Australian star with a big future ahead of him. The 25-year-old has already won $164,288 USD in prize money throughout his career. Comparatively, Calum Puttergill has only won $90,061 USD during his difficult career so far.

The Calum Puttergill case has only increased the tensions surrounding Australian tennis. In the past, Bernard Tomic has been fined twice for unsportsmanlike behavior on court. The Australian was fined $15,000 USD in 2017 after he admitted he was bored during his match against Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon. Later, in 2019, Tomic was fined $56,100 USD for not meeting ‘professional standards’ against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Both these incidents occurred at the Wimbledon Grand Slam.