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Join on Telegram Rabat – Former Moroccan tennis player Younes Rachidi received a lifetime ban from the sport today from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), for his involvement in 135 match-fixing offenses.
“This is now the highest number of offences by one individual ever detected by the ITIA or its predecessor the Tennis Integrity Unit,” the agency said in its official statement.
The decision will see Rachidi, who had a highest ATP doubles ranking of 473, banned from ever playing in, coaching, or even attending any tennis event organized by the sport’s governing bodies.
The former athlete was also fined $34,000 by Anti-Corruption Hearing Office Janie Soubliere, who ruled on the case and described the offenses as “egregious.”
Rachidi was found guilty of contriving the outcome of sporting events and soliciting players not to use their best efforts during matches, as well as receiving money for those actions.
Two Algerian players who were allegedly involved in the match fixing scandal with Rachidi were also recently banned by the ITIA, after law enforcement investigations in Belgium uncovered the case.
Mohamed Hassan was banned from the sport for life and fined $12,100, while Houria Boukholda received a two-year ban and a $10,000 fine.
“Neither individual engaged with the process nor responded to the charges,” the ITIA added in the cases of Hassan and Boukholda.
