The Ukrainian tennis twins Gleb and Vadim Alexejenko have been banned for life due to game manipulation and illegal sports betting.
In addition, the anti-fraud unit TIU, founded by the tennis federations, imposed fines of 250,000 dollars each (216,000 euros). Both players are said to have manipulated several games at subclass tournaments between June 2015 and January 2016 and bet on their own defeats.
The 35-year-olds were always a long way from jumping to the top of the world rankings. Wadim Alexejenko reached his highest ranking (497) in June 2014, Gleb made it to rank 609 in May 2011.
Postponed games in tennis are not a novelty. After Argentinian ATP players Nicolas Kicker and Patricio Heras had been suspended for several years, the TIU imposed lifelong suspensions on three Thai referees who had deliberately entered wrong points on the sub-prime ITF Future Tour a week ago.
Betting fraud in tennis has been a major issue again since January 2016 at the latest. The BBC and the American online platform BuzzFeed News had reported at the Australian Open that a total of 16 players from the top 50 – including a Grand Slam winner in doubles – had been involved in manipulation over the past ten years.