Tennis: Ksenia Palkina banned for 16 years

Ksenia Palkina has been banned from tennis for 16 years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), six years of which is suspended. The Kyrgyzstani tennis player has also been fined $100,000 (with $87,500 suspended) after admitting breaching the rules of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).

Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Richard McLaren ruled on the case after Ksenia Palkina, who had a career high WTA singles ranking of 163, admitted to match fixing offences in 2018 and 2019. Her suspension is backdated to the start of her provisional suspension (22 November 2019) and – providing she does not further break the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program rules – she would be able to resume a career in tennis on 21 November 2029. The sanction means that she is prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event authorized or sanctioned by any international tennis governing body or national association for the length of her ban.