Pitner was one of two umpires, who it was claimed were secretly banned by the ITF for betting offences, with the Croatian then receiving a 12-month sanction in August 2015.

He had been found to have sent details about a player's well-being to a coach during a tournament, while it was also alleged he had logged on to a betting account from which bets were placed on tennis matches.

Pinter was added to the banned list the day before qualifying for the US Open in 2015 but was still allowed to officiate at the tournament. 

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) blamed a “flaw in our process” for his accreditation not being cancelled.

An ITF Disciplinary Panel has now found Pitner to be guilty of failing to notify the USTA that his certification had been suspended.

Additionally, Pinter was accused of misrepresenting to the Qatar Tennis Federation that he held the certification to officiate at the Qatar Open earlier this year.

He was also found guilty of receiving payment for officiating at the 2016 Qatar Open at the rate applicable for a white badge official, the status in which an official is ITF certified.

Pinter was then deemed to have misrepresented that he held the certification to the Lawn Tennis Association in an application to apply at Wimbledon.

With the offences taking place in the opening six months of his suspension, the panel ruled that he should be banned for the 10-year period, which prevents him from officiating at any ATP, WTA and ITF sanctioned event.

Pinter’s suspension is due to end on April 19, 2026.