Corruption Bans
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has banned seven players for corruption after they were found to have breached the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). The players were believed to have been involved in a match-fixing syndicate.
Punishments
Seven Belgian players have been suspended for at least two years for their role in a match-fixing syndicate. The worst offender with 12 documented breaches has been banned for nearly five years, and the supposed leader of the syndicate, Grigor Sargsyan, has been given a prison sentence. The other punishments were handed out as follows:
- Omar Salman and Alex Witmeur were given the lightest sentence. They were suspended for two years and seven months and fined $30,000 for six breaches each.
- Arthur de Greef was suspended for three years and fined $45,000 for nine match-fixing-related breaches.
- Maxime Authom was suspended for three years and nine months and fined $30,000 for six breaches.
- Julien Dubail and Romain Barbosa were suspended for three years and nine months and fined $45,000 for nine breaches each.
- Arnaud Graisse was suspended for four years and ten months and fined $60,000 for 12 match-fixing-related breaches.
As per the suspension, all seven players will not be able to play in, coach at, or attend any tennis events sanctioned by the ITIA or other nationally associated tennis authorities, including the ATP and ITF.
Ongoing Investigation
Match-fixing in tennis has been an issue in recent years, with this being the latest in a string of scandals that have rocked the sport. Three of the players involved in the scandal, Witmeur, de Greef and Barbosa, have been provisionally suspended since May 2021. As such, this time will be treated as time served for their newest sentences.
Grigor Sargsyan, the man allegedly at the centre of the ring, had been travelling the world, building a network of over 180 professional players. Investigations into players based outside of Belgium are still ongoing.
