Tennis: Seven tennis players suspended for involvement in a match-fixing ring: Who are they?

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has made a significant announcement regarding the suspension of seven Belgian tennis players who have been implicated in a match-fixing scandal within the country.

These sanctions are directly linked to an ongoing criminal case involving a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium.

Following a collaborative effort between the ITIA and Belgian authorities, the syndicate’s leader, Grigor Sargsyan, was sentenced to five years in prison.

The seven players involved in this scandal are Arnaud Graisse, Arthur de Greef, Julien Dubail, Romain Barbosa, Maxime Authom, Omar Salman, and Alec Witmeur. They were convicted in a criminal court and have subsequently received sanctions from the ITIA.

Punishments for the players

The punishment for these players varies from two to four years. Three players, Witmeur, De Greef, and Barbosa, had been provisionally suspended since May 2021, when they were formally charged in the criminal proceedings in Belgium, as they were active players at the time.

The time served under provisional suspension will be credited against the players’ periods of ineligibility.

Witmeur admitted to six TACP violations, including betting, match-fixing, inside information, and wildcard violations, while de Greef and Barbosa admitted to nine violations.

During their suspensions, players are prohibited from playing, training, or attending any tennis event licensed or sanctioned by ITIA members: ATP, ITF, WTA, Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and US Open, or any National Association.