Court of Arbitration for Sport increases Samuel Bensoussan's ban to three years for match-fixing

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed Samuel Bensoussan's appeal and increased the French tennis player's suspension to three years for match-fixing. The decision, issued on 15 July 2026, upholds and lengthens the original one-year, 11-month sanction imposed in May 2025 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after Bensoussan fixed four tennis matches.

Bensoussan's case is tied to a 2023 criminal investigation that dismantled a match-fixing syndicate based in Belgium. Cooperation between the ITIA and Belgian authorities led to a five-year prison sentence for Grigor Sargsyan, identified as the ringleader. On appeal, CAS rejected the player's arguments, upheld all ITIA charges, and ruled that the penalty should be increased to align with sanctions handed down in comparable cases. The $12,000 fine remains unchanged.

While suspended, Bensoussan is barred from playing, coaching at, or attending any event organised or sanctioned by World Tennis, the WTA, the ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association. The same restriction applies to provisionally suspended players: separately, the ITIA has also provisionally suspended 26-year-old Yash Yadav of India, who has been sidelined since 12 May 2026 under tennis's anti-corruption program.

The outcome underscores the coordinated effort between tennis's governing bodies and European prosecutors against corruption in the sport. The stiffer penalty, secured through the Lausanne-based arbitration court, sends a clear message that those who manipulate matches can expect escalating — not reduced — sanctions, even years after the original ruling.

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/