A tennis player has been banned for life by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for breaching the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP). The player and four others were hit with punishments linked to a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium. Grigor Sargsyan, the syndicate leader, previously received a five-year custodial sentence for his involvement.

None of the five players who were sanctioned on Friday have ever been inside the world’s top 200. Yannick Thivant was issued a lifetime ban after admitting to fixing 22 matches between 2017 and 2018. He played in 16 of those matches. The 38-year-old was also hit with a fine of £58,019, in addition to £28,929 in restitution.

Thivant requested a hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer, but all charges were upheld. Richard McLaren, the officer in question, noted in his written remarks that ‘the facts in this matter require that the most serious sanctions be imposed’.

Thomas Brechemier, who reached a career-high ranking of 399 in 2017, was issued with a suspension of seven years and six months. He was also fined £30,975, of which £21,303 is suspended, after admitting to fixing 11 matches between 2017 and 2018.

Gabriel Petit, meanwhile, was banned for six years and six months in addition to being fined £27,113. He failed to respond to the ITIA charges, effectively waiving his right to a hearing and accepting liability for fixing seven matches between 2017 and 2018.

Thomas Setodji received a suspension of 10 years and was fined £15,495, as well as £4,261 in restitution, after being found liable for fixing three matches in 2017 and failing to report a corrupt approach in 2018.

Hugo Daubias was suspended for two years and fined £11,623 after admitting to fixing two matches in 2017. He did not appeal the notice of charge.

All five players will be banned from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA. These include the ATP, WTA and ITF as well as any national association.

It comes a week after German player Mina Hodzic was banned for three months after breaching the anti-corruption programme. She was punished after receiving coaching from Jordi Marse-Vidri, who is currently serving a 15-year suspension for match-fixing.

The ITIA said they had previously warned Hodzic against working with Marse-Vidri, but she participated in a training session with him last October. This was a breach of the ‘prohibited association’ rule by training with a suspended individual.