World No.164 Constant Lestienne has been handed a seven month suspension and a $10,000 fine after the Tennis Integrity Unit (ITU) found him guilty of betting offences.
The 24-year-year old placed bets on 220 matches between February 2012 and June 2015 through online gambling websites Betclic and Pari Mutel Ubain. Of the 220, none of those involved matches played by the Frenchman himself. Information about Lestienne’s betting history was provided to the TIU by the Autorité de Regulation des Jeux en Ligne (ARJEL), the French online gambling regulator.
Lestienne broke section D.1.a of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) which forbids players from directly betting on matches.
“No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, wager or attempt to wager on the outcome or any other aspect of any Event or any other tennis competition.” The rule states.
In wake of the investigation, the 24-year-old lost his wildcard for the French Open earlier this year after it was revelled that he placed a bet on a match in the tournament in 2015. There will be no appeal against the suspension by Lestienne, who accepted full responsibility in a statement he released on his personal Facebook account.
“Following my offence of betting online on tennis. Yesterday the TIU gave me a suspension of play on the pro circuit for 7 MONTHS INCLUDING 3 MONTHS AND 2 weeks (If I commit no more violations) and a fine of $ 10000 ($5000 with collaboration).” He wrote on Facebook.
“I have paid for my mistake and I will come back soon to the ATP circuit in early January.”
Lestienne, who was his first Challenger title earlier this year in the Czech Republic, could have his $10,000 fine halved if he cooperates with the TIU. As part of that agreement, he could participate in anti-corruption education.
The suspension will take immediate effect, ending Lestienne’s 2016 campaign on the ATP Tour. This season he has produced a win-loss of 37-19 to reach a career ranking high of 164th this week. Apart from his success in the Czech Republic, Lestienne has also reached the final of the San Benedetto Challenger and won a Futures title in Bressuire, France.
The suspension of the French player comes a week after two Uzbek umpires were banned for life for betting offences. Sherzod Hasanov and Arkhip Molotyagin were found guilty of deliberately delaying the update of the score on their PDA device “to allow the third party and/or other third parties to benefit by placing bets on matches at which they were officiating at the tournament.”
