A former French tennis player has had his suspension for match-fixing extended to three years after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) backfired.
Samuel Bensoussan, 34, was initially suspended for one year and 11 months for his involvement in fixing four matches. These actions were linked to a broader match-fixing syndicate, reportedly orchestrated in Belgium by Grigor Sargsyan, which is alleged to have manipulated at least 375 matches and involved approximately 1,500 individuals.
Bensoussan's suspension, which began in May 2025, was challenged by the player himself, who appealed to the CAS. He had been charged with 18 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Protocol, with all but one being proven. During his appeal, Bensoussan reportedly claimed he was falsely accused by former tennis player Mick Lescure, who received a lifetime ban for match-fixing in 2022.
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) also appealed Bensoussan's initial penalty, arguing for a more severe sanction. The ITIA sought to increase his suspension to six and a half years, aligning it more closely with penalties given to others involved in similar offenses.
The CAS ultimately dismissed Bensoussan's appeal. Furthermore, the court decided to increase his suspension, though it did not adopt the ITIA's requested duration. Bensoussan's ban now stands at three years, commencing from the same date as the original suspension, meaning it will conclude in May 2028. Bensoussan, who reached a singles career-high of No. 405 in 2018, has since transitioned to coaching.