Argentine Tennis Player Handed Four-Year Ban for Match-Fixing
Argentine racket wielder Nicolas Arreche received a four-year suspension from competitive play after a finding of match manipulation. Arreche, who attained a career-high ranking of 567, was deemed to have violated numerous tenets of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). The infractions, occurring between 2017 and 2019, encompassed efforts to predetermine match results. He was further found culpable of neglecting to disclose illicit propositions. This penalty, levied by the autonomous Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Professor Richard McLaren, bars Arreche from participating in or being present at any tennis competition authorized or endorsed by the sport’s regulatory bodies. The suspension is in force from April 24, 2021, to April 23, 2025.
This judgment signifies the second instance in recent times that the ITIA has imposed a prohibition connected to match-rigging, subsequent to the penalizing of Mexican tennis athlete Mauricio Astorga, who received a three-year suspension and a monetary penalty.
These situations underscore the persistent struggle against dishonesty in tennis, a discipline that has been contending with match-fixing controversies in late years.
From 2018 to 2020, authorities sanctioned five tennis athletes for manipulating match outcomes. This followed an inquiry in 2016 examining a staggering 26,000 tennis contests. The investigation commenced after Italian and Russian oddsmakers observed unusual wagering activities, especially surrounding prestigious events such as Wimbledon. Notably, former world No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko was exonerated of comparable accusations in 2008.
