ITIA sanctions six players for match-fixing offences related to Belgian crime ring
Five players admitted to the breaches handed out by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, with the sixth denying the charges and requesting a full hearing
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has sancitoned six current and former tennis players for breaches to the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) related to historical match-fixing.
Five of the players involved accepted the sanctions and admitted to the breaches, with three of them subsequently waiving their right to a hearing before an independent anti-corruption hearing officer (AHO).
The matches during which the breaches took place were all played between 2017 and 2018.
The sanctions relate to a criminal case heard in 2023 involving a Belgium-based match-fixing syndicate.
Syndicate leader Grigor Sargsyan was eventually handed a five-year custodial sentence following the investigation led by the ITIA and Belgian authorities.
In the latest round of action by the ITIA, all six players were handed fines and suspensions of varying degrees for their part in the match-fixing scandal.
Jerome Inzerillo, 34, was given a five-year and seven-month suspension, in addition to a $50,000 fine, $35,000 of which is suspended.
The former world number 354th’s suspension is dated back to 27 October 2024 and will end on 26 May 2030.
David Guez, 42, was handed a four-year suspension with a $25,000 fine, $17,500 of which is suspended.
He reached a career high rank of 116th in July 2010, and his suspension will run until 24 October 2028.
The same sanction was given to 30-year-old Romain Bauvy, whose ranking peaked at 758th in March 2016. His suspension began on 6 November 2024, ending on 5 November 2028.
Those three players were the trio to waive their rights to a hearing from an AHO.
French duo Yannick Jankovits and François-Arthur Vibert were sanctioned after their cases were referred to an independent AHO in the shape of Janie Soublière.
Previous world number 226 Jankovits, 38, was suspended for two years and fined $28,000, $21,000 of which is suspended.
His suspension started on 21 October and will run until 20 October 2026.
Vibert, 34, was suspended for two years and three months between 12 June 2024 and 11 September 2026. He was also given a $35,000 fine, with $28,500 of the figure suspended.
Argentinian player Agustin Moyano denied the charges and was given a full hearing.
The 34-year-old was given a 15-year suspension set to expire on 1 December 2039, in addition to a $10,000 fine.
The suspensions given to the players by the ITIA will prohibit them from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association.