Tennis is a sport that has been littered with cases of match-fixing in recent years. The latest player to be found guilty of such offenses is Frenchman Leny Mitjana. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) handed him a ten-year ban from the sport to the 29-year-old for violating the organization’s Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP) 11 times. Mitjana must also pay a $20,000 fine.
highest-ever world ranking of 458
Mitjana is a journeyman player, who reached his highest-ever world ranking of 458 back in 2018. He denied the accusations related to matches he played in 2017 and 2018. The accusations include Mitjana facilitating betting, contriving the outcome of matches, not reporting when he was approached about engaging in corruption, and influencing other players to not always extend their best effort.
The ban started on December 22 and will remain in place until 2033, preventing him from playing in any events that the ITAI or a national association sanctions or authorizes.
This specific case reportedly has links to recent criminal proceedings regarding a Belgium-based match-fixing scheme. The group had more than 180 tennis players under its influence, with its leader getting a five-year prison sentence in June.