Nicolas Kicker decided to retire from his quarter-final match against Gustavo Heide at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Florianopolis, Brazil, while facing a critical point. After losing the first set 6-2 and falling behind 5-1 in the second set, Kicker opted to end the match.

During the seventh game, with the score tied at deuce, Heide gained an advantage, leading to the decision point. Rather than contesting further, Kicker chose to end the match by shaking hands with the chair umpire and his opponent.

Kicker, a former world No.78, holds the unfortunate distinction of being the highest-ranked tennis professional ever found guilty of match-fixing, resulting in a six-year ban in 2018. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reduced his suspension to three years, subject to no additional violations, after being involved in fixing two Challenger tournament matches in 2015.

Following an appeal and his cooperation with the ITIA’s educational program, Kicker’s suspension was shortened by four months. He also contributed to an educational video for the ITIA, highlighting his involvement in corruption and cautioning other players about the consequences.

Reflecting on his past, Kicker expressed regret for his actions, acknowledging that one mistake in 2015 derailed his promising career trajectory. He admitted to relying on his parents to support his tennis career and recounted a situation where he was approached on Facebook by individuals offering financial backing but later revealed as match-fixing syndicate members.

Kicker described the experience of intentionally losing a match as “horrible” and understands that his reputation in the tennis world remains tainted.