Tennis player banned for life after shocking match-fixing scandal
Tennis racket, ball laying on court.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed serious sanctions for two tennis players under the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).
The sanctions are linked to a recently concluded criminal case involving a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium. Collaboration between the ITIA and Belgian authorities led to a five-year custodial sentence for the leader of the syndicate, Grigor Sargsyan.
Sanctions were imposed by independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Professor Richard McLaren following a formal hearing held between 4-5 March 2024. The sanctions are effective from 4 April 2024.
Alejandro Mendoza Crespo, a 34-year-old Bolivian who reached a career-high world singles ranking of 741 in 2016, was issued the maximum penalty by AHO McLaren for committing 20 major offenses under the TACP, resulting in a lifetime ban from the sport and a $250,000 fine.
Mendoza was found by AHO McLaren to have “engaged in a continuous pattern of corruption” between 2016 and 2018, including initiating corruption offenses by encouraging other players to contrive the outcome of matches for financial gain.
Jorge Panta Herreros, a 28-year-old Peruvian with a career-high world singles ranking of 447 reached in 2022, has been suspended for three years and fined $10,000, having been found liable for four major offenses under the TACP, including contriving the outcome of two of their own matches over a period of two years. Panta’s suspension will end at midnight on 3 April 2027.
During their periods of ineligibility, Mendoza and Panta are prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Federation Francaise de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association.
The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide and has hit the headlines in recent months as it became embroiled in the high-profile case with Simona Halep.
READ MORE: Simona Halep describes discovering doping violation as ‘like a truck hit you’
The former Wimbledon champion tested positive for the blood-boosting drug Roxadustat at the US Open in 2022 and was handed the long ban last September.
Halep appealed to CAS and, following a hearing last month, the court has dramatically reduced the Romanian’s suspension.
A CAS statement read: “The CAS panel has unanimously determined that the four-year period of ineligibility imposed by the ITF (International Tennis Federation) independent tribunal is to be reduced to a period of ineligibility of nine months starting on October 7, 2022, which period expired on July 6, 2023.”
Halep said in a statement issued by her legal team: “Throughout this long and difficult process, I have maintained my belief that the truth would eventually come out, and that a just decision would be reached, because I am and always have been a clean athlete.
“My faith in the process was tested by the scandalous accusations that were levelled against me, and by the seemingly unlimited resources that were aligned against me.
“But in the end, the truth prevailed, even if it took much longer than I wish it had.
“I would like to thank my lawyers who have stood with me and believed in me from the beginning; and more importantly, I want to thank my sponsors, my fans and my competitors who stuck with me throughout this long and trying process. I cannot wait to return to the tour.
“I would like to particularly thank my fellow Romanians who believed unconditionally and who motivated me to take this battle to a successful and legitimate outcome.”
The ITIA also created headlines this week when their retired players list saw the name of Italian star Camila Giorgi added, even though she has yet to make any public comment on her decision to walk away from the game.