Five French players receive lengthy bans for match-fixing

Five French players have received bans ranging from two years to life after they were found guilty of match-fixing, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said on Friday.

Yannick Thivant, Thomas Brechemier, Gabriel Petit, Thomas Setodji and Hugo Daubias are the players sanctioned, with the punishments linked to a criminal case heard in 2023 involving a match-fixing group in Belgium, the ITIA said.

"Collaboration between the ITIA and Belgian authorities led to a five-year custodial sentence for the leader of the syndicate, Grigor Sargsyan," the ITIA said in a media release.

"Four of the cases were ruled on by an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO), with the fifth resolved directly between the player and the ITIA."

Thivant was issued a lifetime ban and fined $75,000 in addition to 37,400 euros ($41,083.90) in restitution after the 38-year-old admitted to fixing 22 matches between 2017 and 2018, with the sanction taking effect on February 14.

Setodji, 29, has been suspended for 10 years and fined $20,000, in addition to 5,500 euros ($6,041.75) restitution, "after being found liable for fixing three matches in 2017 and failing to report a corrupt approach in 2018."

Brechemier was handed a seven years and six months suspension plus fined $40,000, of which $27,500 is suspended, after admitting to fixing 11 matches between 2017 and 2018.

Petit was issued a six years and six months suspension and fined $35,000 after he failed to respond to the ITIA's charges. Daubias has been suspended for two years and fined $15,000.

Brechemier was the highest ranked player between the five with a career-high singles ranking of 399.

The ITIA said the five players are prohibited from playing, coaching or attending any tennis event