Mills & Reeve supports International Tennis Integrity Agency against Tennis Anti-Corruption Program breaches

The sports law team at Mills & Reeve is pleased to have supported the International Tennis Integrity Agency (“ITIA”) in charging and successfully prosecuting Younes Rachidi (Morocco), Mohamed Hassan (Algeria) and Houria Boukholda (Algeria) for breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme. 

Collectively, these individuals were charged with 179 match-fixing related offences, with the Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer imposing varying sanctions upon each of them.

• Younes Rachidi was banned from the sport for life. He was also fined $34,000.
• Mohamed Hassan also received a lifetime ban and a fine of $12,100.
• Houria Boukholda – who was a minor at the time the offences took place – was given a more lenient sanction. She was banned for two years (of which 18 months were suspended) and fined $10,000 (of which $9,000 was suspended).

The offences committed by these players related to matches at ITF and Davis Cup competitions between 2016 - 2018:

• Section D.1.d of the 2016, 2017 and 2018 TACP: No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, contrive the outcome, or any other aspect, of any Event.
• Section D.1.e of the 2017 and 2018 TACP: No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or facilitate any Player to not use his or her best efforts in any Event.
• Section D.1.f of the 2017 and 2018 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.1.g of the 2017 and 2018 TACP: No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, offer or provide any money, benefit or Consideration to any other Covered Person with the intention of negatively influencing a Player's best efforts in any Event.
• Section D.2.a.i of the 2016, 2017 and 2018 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.

Further information about the cases can be found in the press releases by the ITIA:

ITIA - Hassan and Boukholda, 11 January 2023

ITIA - Younes Rachidi lifetime ban, 9 February 2023