Tennis Scandal: 16 Players Banned for Betting and Match-Fixing in Q4 2023

^{Pictured: Christopher Díaz Figueroa, a tennis player from Guatemala who got a lifetime ban}

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has published a report on the tennis player bans and possible match-fixing cases in the last quarter of 2023.

The report shows that 16 players were banned for breaking the rules of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) in the period from October to December. The rules cover different violations related to betting and match-fixing.

Three of the banned players got a lifetime ban. They are Timur Khabibulin, Alberto Rojas Maldonado, and Christopher Díaz Figueroa.

The rest of the players received bans ranging from 2 years and 9 months to 12 years. Six officials were also banned for their involvement in the scandal, with chair umpire Stefan Milanov getting the longest ban of 16 years.

The ITIA also gave information on the suspicious matches in Q4 2023, based on data from sportsbooks. The agency found 20 matches that showed signs of foul play. For comparison, in the Q1, Q2, and Q3 of 2023, the number of suspected match-fixing cases in tennis was 13, 30, and 38, respectively.

In total, the ITIA identified 101 matches with possible match-fixing in 2023. However, the agency will soon release its annual report on the state of integrity in tennis, which may have some changes in the numbers.