Alan Cleland Jr. Has been suspended from all World Surf League competition following allegations of sexual assault involving an Australian teenager in Tahiti.
The 24-year-old Mexican surfer, currently ranked 24th on the men’s Championship Tour, received a provisional suspension on Monday after the WSL was made aware of what it called “allegations of a deeply serious nature.” The discipline committee acted quickly to bar him from all league events while the matter is investigated.
The alleged incident occurred in August following the final day of the Outerknown Tahiti Pro, the seventh stop on the 2026 WSL Championship Tour. According to respected surfing journalist Nick Carroll, writing in Surfing World, the incident involving the Sydney teenager included at least three men. The gathering where the alleged assault took place was not affiliated with the WSL, the league emphasized in its statement.
“The World Surf League (WSL) confirms that a competitor on the 2026 Men’s Championship Tour has been suspended after the WSL was recently made aware of allegations of a deeply serious nature involving the competitor,” the league wrote.
The WSL continued: “The allegations involve conduct in relation to a private gathering in Tahiti in August. The gathering was not affiliated with the WSL.”
All competitors are bound by conduct standards outlined in the WSL Rule Book at all times, the league noted, and the discipline committee took prompt action after being informed.
NSW Police have been informed about the allegations and are in contact with surfing authorities, according to Surfing World. It remains unknown whether French Polynesian police are taking any legal action at this time.
The suspension has sent shockwaves through professional surfing, removing a ranked competitor from the tour mid-season. Cleland Jr. Had been competing on the elite level of the sport, with the Tahiti event representing a key stop on the championship circuit known for its heavy waves at Teahupo’o.
The league made clear that its disciplinary process was triggered specifically by the nature of the allegations and the location of the alleged conduct, even though the private gathering fell outside official WSL programming. The provisional status of the suspension suggests further investigation will determine any permanent action.
The teenager at the center of the allegations is from Sydney, and the involvement of multiple men was first reported by Carroll, a veteran journalist in the surfing world. His reporting in Surfing World brought the allegations to broader attention within the sport before the WSL’s public confirmation on Monday.
It is not yet clear how long the provisional suspension will remain in place or what timeline the WSL discipline committee is following for its review. The league has not indicated whether Cleland Jr. Faces additional sanctions beyond the competition ban.
The Outerknown Tahiti Pro in August marked a significant point in the 2026 tour season, with competitors facing the challenging reef break that has become a staple of professional surfing. The event’s conclusion led to the private gathering where the alleged assault is said to have occurred.