French tennis player suspended for ten years…
French tennis player suspended for ten years.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) can today confirm that French tennis player Leny Mitjana has been suspended from the sport for a period of ten years and fined $20,000 for 11 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).
The penalty is related to a criminal case that was just finished in Belgium that involved a match-fixing syndicate. The syndicate’s leader, Grigor Sargsyan, received a five-year prison sentence as a result of cooperation between the ITIA and Belgian authorities.
Mitjana – who held a career-high world singles ranking of 458 in 2018 – denied all charges related to the fixing of matches in 2017 and 2018. A hearing was held before independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Phillipe Cavalieros on 8 November 2023.
AHO Cavalieros found Mitjana liable for breaches of sections D.1.b, D.1.d, D.1.e and D.2.a.i of the TACP, which include the facilitation of wagering, contriving the outcome of matches, influencing other players not to use their best efforts in matches, and failing to report corrupt approaches.
The suspension will run from the date of the decision (22 December 2023) until midnight on 21 December 2033.
During the period of ineligibility, the player is 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, French Tennis Federation, 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.