The globally-recognized tennis integrity body, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), confirmed Thursday it imposed a tough sanction against a player that was found to have breached the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). Judging by a statement released by the Agency, Alexis Musialek, a French professional tennis player, was banned from the sport for life after breaches related to match-fixing.
The professional tennis player who had the highest ATP singles ranking of 255 in 2015 initially denied all charges against him. However, an investigation led by Raj Parker, an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO), uncovered that Musialek was involved in match-fixing of nine matches between 2016 and 2018. Additionally, it was determined that the French player failed to cooperate with ITIA’s probe and withheld evidence.
Overall, according to ITIA, Musialek was involved in a total of 39 breaches of the TACP rules. According to the Agency: “The 35-year-old was found to have – among other offenses – contrived the outcome of multiple matches, received money, benefit or consideration for contriving the outcome of these matches.” The integrity watchdog also said that Musialek engaged with other players, encouraging them “not to use their best efforts.”
In light of the uncovered breaches, the French tennis player received a lifetime ban from the sport. Additionally, a hefty $50,000 fine was imposed against him. Although it was announced this week, the sanction was in effect as of August 5, 2023, the ITIA confirmed.
The lifetime ban means that Musialek won’t be permitted to play or coach at any event sanctioned or authorized by the governing bodies of tennis permanently. He is also prohibited from attending such events as well.
The Tennis Integrity Watchdog Remains Vigilant
As the independent body, safeguarding the integrity of tennis, ITIA has the authority to implement sanctions which may include fines, temporary or even permanent bans. Earlier this month, the Agency confirmed it imposed provisional suspensions against three players over TACP breaches. At the time, the ITIA alleged that Timur Khabibulin, Sanjar Fayziev and Igor Smilansky were involved in multiple breaches related to match-fixing.
Before that, back in July, the Agency hit the Bolivian tennis umpire, Percy Flores, with a temporary ban from the sport for a duration of 12 years. The tough sanction came after the regulatory watchdog uncovered a whopping 31 breaches of the TACP rules between November 2021 and October 2022.
Again, in July, the ITIA confirmed the launch of a new mandatory integrity education for junior players in collaboration with the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Ultimately, that training seeks to educate and raise awareness about the importance of the sport’s integrity.