The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected French player Samuel Bensoussan's appeal and increased his suspension for match-fixing to three years, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced. The 34-year-old had originally been banned for one year and 11 months.
Bensoussan was found to have manipulated the outcome of four tennis matches on behalf of a Belgian criminal syndicate. The CAS panel upheld the original findings and, treating the breaches as more serious than first assessed, extended the sanction and confirmed a fine of 12,000 US dollars.
The decision, published on 15 July 2026, closes a case that has been closely watched within the sport as a test of how rigorously corruption is punished. The ITIA welcomed the outcome, saying it reinforced the message that betting-related corruption carries severe consequences regardless of a player's profile.
Bensoussan is now ineligible to compete or attend sanctioned events until the extended ban expires. The case adds to a series of integrity rulings this year as tennis authorities step up efforts to protect the sport's credibility.
An important precedent that sends a clear signal to anyone tempted to manipulate the result of a match. The ITIA noted that the investigation required months of cooperation with Belgian judicial authorities. The severity of the penalty is intended as a deterrent to young players, who are often the target of illicit approaches from international networks seeking to fix the outcomes of lower-profile matches. Such cross-border cooperation is increasingly central to the sport's anti-corruption fight, and sends a warning well beyond this single case.
Sources
- ITIA — Court of Arbitration for Sport increases Samuel Bensoussan suspension after unsuccessful appeal: https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/court-of-arbitration-for-sport-increases-samuel-bensoussan-suspension-after-unsuccessful-appeal/
