Seventeen-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer has called on the tennis world to take allegations of match-fixing "very seriously".

It has been claimed by the BBC that 16 players who have ranked inside the top 50, some of whom are Grand Slam winners, have been flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit over suspicions of losing on purpose.

It has been alleged that the unnamed players were allowed to continue playing, despite their names being handed over to the TIU.

Federer, who eased through the first round of the Australian Open on Monday with a straight-sets win over Nikoloz Basilashvili, has had his say on the claims.

"It's like I can always train more - there's always more you can do," The Telegraph quotes Federer as saying. "So a story like this is only going to increase the pressure. Hopefully there's more funding to it. Same as doping.

"You've got to be super aggressive in both areas. It's just really important that all the governing bodies and all the people involved take it very seriously, that the players know about it."

World number one Novak Djokovic revealed on Monday that he was once offered £110,000 to throw a match in the early stages of his career.