Match-fixing Charges At French Open For Tennis Star Yana Sizikova

• Yana Sizikova is being given detention from playing tennis professionally until an investigation regarding match-fixing can be cleared up.
• The Russian athlete has been charged with match-fixing since last year’s French Open and it is being tied to organized crime.
• The Tennis Integrity Unit cannot comment on an investigation until a judgment has been made.

PARIS – On Thursday, Yana Sizikova, a Russian tennis player was arrested at the French Open under suspicion of match-fixing. An investigation into the matter is ongoing but this development officially takes the athlete out of participating in the tournament. She was paired with Ekaterina Alexandrova, where they lost in their last match 6-1 against Storm Sanders and Ajla Tomljanovic from Australia.

This isn’t the first time the Russian star has been looked into for fixing matches. In fact, this arrest stems from the way wagers were being made on the athlete during the last French Open. The abnormal way that tennis betting on her matchups was taking place raised red flags and the same thing was beginning to happen with this year’s games.

What’s Happening With The Investigation

It is believed that the match-fixing is tied to organized crime. Investigations into the player began last year when Sizikova was teamed up with Madison Brengle, an American athlete. The pair lost against the Romanian duo of Andreea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig. It was a two-minute, four-point match. This irregular matter was brought to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) to investigate. A number of wagers were placed on that match.

Across the globe, mobile sportsbooks were taking money on the game. There were losses and payouts across the board but for anyone that is believed to have been in on the setup, it was all payouts. As for this year, there is no word yet on what’s happening according to Sizikova’s lawyer. She was released on Friday, spending one day in jail.

“It is therefore serenely and in the best possible state of mind that Yana Sizikova went to Paris a week ago to play in the 2021 French Open women’s doubles tournament. She and her father were extremely shocked when she was arrested, ” said Frederic Belot, the attorney representing Sizikova.

Now What?

Sizikova has received a detention from playing tennis until the investigation is closed. The Russian tennis player has been playing professionally for 11 years. The Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) has been notified of the athlete’s status and her inability to continue playing until further notice.

“We have not received any documents regarding the case, so it’s difficult to make an assessment of what has happened,” said Shamil Tarpischev, the President of RTF.

The TIU cannot publicly speak on the matter until the investigation is closed and a ruling has been made. Sizikova’s net worth is $206,617, and typically, in match-fixing cases that turn out to be real and not coincidental, players are low on funds which pushes them to break the rules.

News tags: Ajla Tomljanovic | Andreea Mitu | Ekaterina Alexandrova | Frederic Belot | French Open | Patricia Maria Tig | Russia | Russian Tennis Federation | Shamil Tarpischev | Storm Sanders | Tennis Integrity Unit | Yana Sizikova