Six Spanish Tennis Players Banned for Match Manipulation

The global Tennis Integrity Agency (TIA) has declared that six Spanish tennis competitors have been prohibited from participating in tournaments after being found guilty of criminal acts connected to match manipulation in a Spanish court.

Six Spanish tennis competitors have been prohibited for match manipulation.
Marc Fornell Mestres, whose peak ATP ranking was 236, and Jorge Marse Vidri, whose highest ATP ranking was 562, both received prohibitions. Unranked competitors Carlos Ortega, Jaime Ortega, Marcos Torralbo, and Pedro Bernabe Franco also received prohibitions.

All six competitors admitted to corruption charges and were convicted in Spain as part of a larger case involving organized crime that is still ongoing.

The decisions mark the conclusion of a five-year collaborative effort involving the TIA, Spanish law enforcement, and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

With the criminal case now concluded, the TIA was able to impose penalties on the competitors, opting for long-term prohibitions and financial penalties.

Mestres was prohibited for 22 years and six months and fined $250,000 (£203,593/€237,906), of which $200,000 was suspended. Vidri was prohibited for 15 years and fined $15,000, of which $5,000 was suspended.

Ortega was prohibited for a period of fifteen years and penalized a sum of $150,000, of which $140,000 was deferred. Ortega was prohibited for a period of seven and a half years and penalized a sum of $100,000, of which $90,000 was deferred.

Tallarbo was prohibited for a period of fifteen years and penalized a sum of $100,000, of which $85,000 was deferred, while Franco was prohibited for a period of fifteen years and penalized a sum of $100,000, of which $75,000 was deferred.

All six competitors were prohibited from participating in or attending any tennis event sanctioned or approved by any international tennis governing body or national association for the duration of their prohibitions. They are also not permitted to provide coaching in professional matches.

“The outcomes of this extended investigation represent a significant achievement in the battle against corruption within tennis,” stated ITIA Chair Jenny Price. “While we are not pleased to see six individuals convicted and prohibited, the message is unambiguous: match-fixing will result in imprisonment and could bring an end to your tennis career.

“This also serves as a reminder that organized crime is targeting sports, and governments and law enforcement agencies, as well as anti-corruption bodies in sport, must take this threat seriously.”

ITIA CEO Jonny Gray added: “This is one of the most serious intrusions of organized crime into tennis that we have witnessed. We welcome the involvement of law enforcement and the prosecution of the entire criminal network, not just the athletes involved.”

This ruling delivers a powerful message that manipulating competitions is a criminal act and can result in imprisonment. I extend my gratitude to our investigative, intelligence, and legal teams for their tireless efforts over the past five years to bring this matter to a conclusion.

We also experienced excellent collaboration between the ITIA and Spanish law enforcement, along with robust support from tennis organizations. Lastly, we are deeply appreciative of the evidence furnished by the gambling industry, which aided us in securing these convictions.

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