Seven Belgian tennis players were disqualified from betting. What is the penalty?

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed the suspension of seven Belgian tennis players who admitted violations of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).

The sanctions relate to a recently concluded criminal case involving a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium. Cooperation between ITIA and Belgian authorities led to union leader Grigor Sargsyan being sentenced to five years in prison.

All seven players – Arnaud Grasse, Arthur de Graef, Julien Dubel, Romain Barbosa, Maxime Hautom, Omar Salman and Alec Witmer – were convicted by a criminal court and subsequently agreed on sanctions with the ITIA.

Three players – Witmer, de Graef and Barbosa – have been provisionally suspended by the AHO since May 2021, when they were formally charged in a criminal case in Belgium, as they were active players at the time. Time spent as part of the provisional suspension will be counted towards those players’ ineligibility periods. Witmer pleaded guilty to six TACP violations, while de Graef and Barbosa pleaded guilty to nine violations.

Therefore, the sanctions are as follows:

– Arthur de GraefHaving reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 113th in 2017, he was banned for three years and nine months and fined US$45,000. De Graef’s disqualification will expire on February 26, 2025.

– Romain BarbosaHaving reached a career-high 403rd ATP singles ranking in 2016, he was banned for three years and nine months and fined US$45,000. Barbosa’s sentence expires on February 26, 2025.

– Alec WhitmerThe athlete, who reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 1056 in 2011, was suspended for two years and seven months and fined US$30,000; of this, $21,000 was deferred. Witmer’s sentence will end on December 26, 2023.

Sanctions for the remaining four players – Grasse (12 violations), Dubel (nine violations), Salman (six violations) and Otom (six violations) – come into force from the date of the agreement.

The sanctions are as follows:

– Arno Grassunranked, was suspended for four years and 10 months and fined $60,000. Grasse’s sentence began on October 2, 2023 and will end on August 1, 2028.

– Julien DubelHaving reached a career-high 371st ATP singles ranking in 2012, he was banned for three years and nine months and fined US$45,000. Dubel’s disqualification began on October 4, 2023 and will end on July 3, 2027.

– Maksim AutomHaving reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 143 in 2013, he was banned for three years and nine months and fined US$30,000. Otom’s suspension began on October 28, 2023 and will end on July 27, 2027.

– Omer SalmanThe athlete, who reached a career-high ranking of 464th in the ATP singles rankings in 2018, was suspended for two years and seven months and fined US$30,000. Salman’s disqualification started on October 9, 2023 and will end on May 8, 2026.

The sanctions end ITIA’s legal proceedings against Belgian players in relation to Sarkisian’s match-fixing, although union proceedings involving players from outside Belgium remain ongoing.

While ineligible, players are prohibited from participating, coaching or participating in any tennis event authorized or sanctioned by ITIA members: ATP, ITF, WTA, Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open or any other tennis event.