Tennis and its rules are no walk in the park. This season has seen plenty of players face the wrath of the ITIA’s punishments for match fixing. One player even received a lifetime ban and a $115,000 fine for corrupt practices on the tour. There’s no messing around when you cross the line, and this time, three more players are finding themselves in serious trouble.

On December 19, RMC News reported new arrests in a large-scale match-fixing probe that’s been unraveling for two years. Investigators questioned three more players, who have now admitted to the charges. The revelations add to an ongoing investigation already tied to seven people, including three French players, accused of fixing matches for money.

Just last week, another wave of questioning took place. Three players were taken into custody by the criminal investigation department and confessed during interrogation. They are now waiting to be formally charged in the coming weeks.  The sweeping inquiry has already pulled in dozens of names. Investigators have uncovered 45 suspicious matches and massive betting activity across multiple tournaments.

The investigation allegedly revealed that close to 700 000€ were at stake spread across six matches – approximately $821,000 was traded to fix matches according to the three apprehended french players. The findings hint at a darker underbelly of the sport, where integrity battles temptation week after week.

The corruptors, investigators say, don’t chase big-name stars. They go after the vulnerable, struggling players buried deep in the rankings. These are athletes with no sponsors, no coaches, and barely any income. Easy targets for easy cash.

Former French player Marine Partaud, once ranked No. 16 nationally, knows that pressure too well. She shared her own experience, one that shines a harsh light on the issue: “I know that once I was approached in Romania at a tournament where the guy told me ‘If you lose the first game, I’ll give you 1,000 euros in cash at the exit of the match behind the club,’” she revealed.

Stunned, she realized that “1,000 euros, it’s unfortunate, but that’s the amount I would have won if I won the whole tournament.” For her, it was a wake-up call. “I understand that some players may give in to temptation because 1,000 euros is a huge amount,” she admitted. Still, she chose to walk away.

Match-fixing has long tainted tennis, leaving a mark the sport can’t quite erase. And these three players aren’t the only ones to face consequences this month.

Tennis pro banned 12 years after multiple match-fixing charges

The tennis world reeled on Friday as Chinese player Pang Renlong was handed a 12-year ban for fixing or attempting to fix 22 matches in just five months. The ITIA confirmed the verdict, revealing a striking level of manipulation by the 25-year-old, who competed on the World Tennis Tour, the third rung of the professional circuit. Pang confessed to his actions and waived his right to a hearing, closing his case without a published ruling.

The investigation found that Pang fixed five of his own matches and tried to fix 17 more, six of them successfully. His punishment included a $110,000 fine, though $70,000 of it was suspended. Between May and September 2024, he played 27 matches, 26 on the World Tennis Tour and one on the ATP Challenger Tour, splitting his wins and losses almost evenly. His highest world ranking, No. 1,316, came that November, right before he was provisionally sidelined.

The Chinese pro wasn’t alone. A source familiar with the investigations said his case was linked to fellow Chinese players Li Wenfu and Zhang Jin. Both were caught fixing matches for payments and handed lengthy suspensions in November 2025, Li for two years and three months, Zhang for two. The source asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

When Pang’s suspension was first announced, two more players were pulled into the anti-corruption spotlight: France’s Jaimee Floyd-Angele and Thailand’s Anapat Timangkul. Both were investigated for potential breaches, and Floyd-Angele’s case soon intersected with that of Quentin Folliot, a 26-year-old French player described as a “central figure in a network of players operating on behalf of a match-fixing syndicate.” The Frenchman’s downfall was massive: a 20-year suspension earlier this month after 27 proven offenses and evidence of match-fixing payments.

According to the ITIA, messages showed Folliot persuading fellow players to influence matches, a sign of how deeply such operations run. Floyd-Angele, who was 25, was eventually suspended for five years and three months. As 2025 comes to a close, tennis once again finds itself fighting to protect its integrity.

The question now is whether the action taken by the ITIA will help reduce the number in the 2026 season? What’s your take?