Five French Tennis Players Banned for Involvement in Match-Fixing Syndicate

A low-ranked French tennis player has received a lifetime ban from the sport, while four others face suspensions ranging from two to ten years due to their involvement in match-fixing linked to a Belgian syndicate, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Friday.

More than 60 current and former players have faced penalties for their connections to Grigor Sargsyan, the syndicate leader who was previously sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the scandal.

Yannick Thivant, aged 38, was issued a lifetime ban and fined $75,000 after confessing to fixing 22 matches—16 of which he participated in—between 2017 and 2018. Thivant achieved a career-high ranking of 590th in 2015.

Thomas Setodji, aged 29, has been banned for ten years and fined $20,000 after being found guilty of fixing three matches in 2017 and for not reporting an approach related to corruption the following year. His highest ranking, No. 794, was achieved last year.

Thomas Brechemier, aged 28, has received a suspension of seven and a half years along with a fine after admitting to fixing eleven matches between 2017 and 2018. His best ranking was No. 399 in 2017.

Gabriel Petit, 29, was handed a six and a half year ban and fined for failing to respond to charges from the ITIA, which is viewed as an acceptance of liability. Petit, who reached a ranking of No. 450 in 2018, was accused of fixing seven matches in 2017 and 2018.

Hugo Daubias, 28, was suspended for two years and fined $15,000 after admitting to fixing two matches in 2017. His highest ranking was 972nd in 2017.