Charges made against El Mihdawy relate to a 2016 tournament in Mexico, where the player fixed two matches.
With a highest-ever ATP ranking of 281, El Mihdawy had his case heard by an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer, Professor Richard H. McLaren, who condemned the player to a four-year suspension.
However, taking into account time already served while awaiting the verdict of his appeal, El Mihdawy’s sentence was commuted to three and a half years.
El Mihdawy’s ban started on 1 September 2022 and will end on 28 February 2026. Furthermore, the player was fined $5,000, with an additional suspended fine of $10,000 pending, should El Mihdawy be found guilty of or commit further breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).
TACP breaches made by El Mihdawy include the following:
‘Section D.1.d. of the 2016 TACP: No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, contrive or attempt to contrive the outcome or any other aspect of any Event.
‘Section D.1.f. of the 2016 TACP: No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or accept any money, benefit or Consideration with the intention of negatively influencing a Player’s best efforts in any Event.
‘Section D.2.a.i. of the 2016 TACP: In the event any Player is approached by any person who offers or provides any type of money, benefit or Consideration to a Player to (i) influence the outcome or any other aspect of any Event, or (ii) provide Inside Information, it shall be the Player’s obligation to report such incident to the TIU [Now ITIA] as soon as possible.’
The ITIA is an independent body designed to encourage and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.
International Betting Integrity Association CEO Khalid Ali will feature in Gambling Insider’s upcoming Sports Betting Focus magazine, where he touches on integrity issues within the sport of tennis.
