The Global Tennis Integrity Organization (GTIO) has declared suspensions for two tennis competitors associated with a Belgian criminal organization.
Alejandro Mendoza Crespo received the most severe punishment – a permanent suspension – for twenty infractions. Meanwhile, Jorge Panta Errelos was suspended for three years for four violations.
The sanctions were imposed by independent anti-corruption hearing official Professor Richard McLaren and took effect after formal hearings in early March. The suspensions began on April 4th.
Mendoza and Panta were also penalized $250,000 (£199,619/€231,942) and $10,000 respectively. Both are prohibited from participating in any event, providing coaching, or being involved in any competition recognized by GTIO members, including the ATP and WTA.
Last week, Eduardo Agustin Torre was suspended for five years for thirty-five violations of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). Torre was also penalized $35,000.
The GTIO stated that the suspensions of Mendoza and Panta were connected to a recent criminal case in Belgium, in which Grigor Sargysan, the leader of a match-fixing group, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Following the decision, seven athletes were prohibited from competing for varying lengths of time in November. This action was taken due to their infringement of the TACP regulations.
In November, seven athletes were suspended for different durations due to breaches of TACP rules. The individuals who received these suspensions include Alec Wittemore, Arnold Grace, Arthur de Grieve, Julian Dubail, Roman Barbosa, Maxime Ossom, and Omar Salman.
Earlier this year, two additional bans were imposed in the Belgian case. French athlete Lenny Mitjana was suspended for a decade due to corruption, while Anis Gorbel was also prohibited from participating for three years for manipulating match outcomes.
The suspensions of Mendoza and Panta bring the total number of athletes and officials associated with the Belgian case who have been banned to twenty-five.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) published its “Integrity Report” for the initial three months of the year in April.
IBIA issued a total of fifty-six warnings in the first quarter, representing a twelve percent rise from the fifty notices issued during the same period in 2023. This figure also signifies a sixty-four point seven percent increase from the final quarter of 2023.
There were fourteen alerts related to tennis in the initial three months of this year. This represents an increase from the twelve notices issued during the same period last year.