Tunisian Pro suspended and fined $20,000 by the ITIA over serious breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program

Tunisian player Anis Ghorbel was found guilty of match fixing by the ITIA on charges dating back to 2016–17, resulting in a massive fine and suspension from the sport.

Tunisian Pro suspended and fined $20,000 by the ITIA over serious breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program

Anis Ghorbel (Credits: Arab News)

Former singles World No. 479 Anis Ghorbel has been found guilty of four breaches of the anti-corruption program by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). Ghorbel has been fined $20,000 for the same and will be suspended from all tennis activities for the next three years.

The ban will see him banned from playing, coaching, or even attending any event sanctioned by the ITIA, which includes all four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA, and ITF events. 

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The ban will remain in place from January 4, 2024, until midnight on January 3, 2027. The decision is being linked to the criminal case hearing that recently concluded in Belgium over a match-fixing syndicate.

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The leader of the syndicate, Grigor Sargsyan, has, however, been found guilty by the ITIA and Belgian associations, which has led to his custodial sentence of 5 years. Ghorbel had denied all charges dating back to 2016 and 2017 but was found guilty on four accounts. 

These include failure to report a corrupt approach facilitating wagering on the outcome of a match and contriving the outcome or aspect of a match, respectively. Ghorbel, 34, has yet to issue a statement on the subject. 

What was Grigor Sargsyan’s match-fixing ring that also caught Anis Ghorbel?

The match-fixing ring started by Grigor Sargsyan was spread out globally. He had carefully trapped professional players who purposefully lost matches, sets, and, at times, even points. 

This helped him successfully run the gambling operation earning him and his fellow partners millions.

Grigor Sargsyan
Grigor Sargsyan (Credits: The Washington Post)

At the time of Sargsyan’s arrest in September 2023, his ring included 180 professional players across five continents. The scale of his operation led to him being infamously called the ‘Maestro’.

The other known names for him were reportedly Gregory, Greg, GG, and TonTon. Some players knew him as Ragnar, after the Viking warrior, as per the Washington Post.

Mick Lescure, a former French player, admitted during his confession to the police about working with Sargsyan. The interrogation revealed the lengths to which the Belgian had gone. In one of the reported instances disclosed, Sargsyan could pit two players against each other who were both working for him. 

Ghorbel is one of the many players to have been caught. The actual number could still be higher, and ITIA could be in for a big bust if they can track down and punish each of these players. 

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