Match-fixing in tennis is rampant, and six Spanish tennis players pleaded guilty to the offense after a five-year investigation.
In a press release dated May 6th, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the tennis watchdog that maintains integrity and fairness within professional tennis, concluded the cases and heavily sanctioned all the culprits.
The six of them were convicted in Spain as part of an extensive case related to organized crime and have been handed two-year prison sentences in addition to a fine as stipulated by the law.
Two of the six players have been ranked on the ATP Tour. These are Marc Fornell Mestres (highest ATP ranking, World No. 236) and Jorge Marse Vidri (highest ATP ranking, World No. 562).
The four unranked players are Carlos Ortega, Jaime Ortega, Marcos Torralbo, and Pedro Bernabe Franco. The ITIA has also penalized these players with long bans and monetary fines.
The shortest ban is that of Jaime Ortega, who will be barred from competing, practicing, or coaching at an ATP-sanctioned event for seven years and six months. He has also been fined a whopping $100,000, of which $90,000 is suspended.
The largest ban is that of Marc Fornell Mestres, who will be out of the sport for a period of 22 years and six months and fined $250,000, of which $200,000 is suspended.
The other four players have also been handed lengthy bans of at least 15 years each. ITIA CEO Jonny Gray called it the "most significant infiltration of tennis" but believes the verdict will send a clear warning to those who want to commit crime.
"This is one of the most significant infiltrations of tennis by organised crime that we have seen. We welcome the involvement of law enforcement agencies and the prosecution of entire criminal networks, not just the players involved. This ruling sends a strong message that match fixing is a crime which can see criminal convictions."
"I must pay tribute to our investigations, intelligence and legal teams who have worked tirelessly over the last five years or so to bring this case to its conclusion. We also had excellent co-operation between the ITIA and Spanish law enforcement agencies, as well as the unswerving support of the tennis bodies. Finally, we are hugely grateful to the betting industry for their evidence, leading to these convictions."