Anis Ghorbel, a Tunisian tennis player has been suspended for three years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency due to corruption in connection with a larger match-fixing scandal that occurred in Belgium.
Ghorbel has been found guilty of violating the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme. ITIA stated that this was a serious offense and warranted a suspension of the player as well as monetary penalties.
The suspension is effective from 4 January, the date the decision was made until 3 January 2027.
Offenses relate to fixing matches between 2016 and 2017. Ghorbel has denied all allegations. He achieved a high career singles world ranking in 2016 of 479.
Two specific breaches are related to Section D.2.a.i – failure to report a corruption approach. ITIA noted one breach in section D.1.b – facilitating bets on the result of a game – and D.1.d – attempting to manipulate the match’s outcome.
Ghorbel is no longer allowed to play, coach or attend any tennis tournaments that are sanctioned by ITIA or its members.
Tennis match fixing charges are increasing
Ghorbel has become the latest player to face sanctions in the case of a Belgian match-fixing syndicate. The ITIA collaborated with Belgian authorities, which led to the five-year prison sentence handed down for Grigor Sargsyan.
Sargsyan was convicted in November. According to iGB’s report, 16 players were banned initially in November 2023.
Leny Mitchell, a French tennis player, has also been charged with recent crimes. After being found guilty for corruption and match fixing offences, he was given a 10-year ban.
The ITIA banned 22 players, officials and teams in total over the past three months for the same incident.
