Lifetime ban for Diego Matos after conviction on multiple match-fixing and non-co-operation offences

31-year old Brazilian player ranked 373 ATP in doubles is also fined $125,000 and ordered to repay illicit winnings of $12,000    

Brazilian tennis player Diego Matos has been banned from professional tennis for life and fined $125,000 after being convicted of multiple match-fixing offences.

In addition to the fine, he has also been ordered to repay $12,000 received for match-fixing linked to tournaments played in Ecuador. 

Independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Prof Richard H McLaren found that Mr Matos had contrived the outcome of 10 tennis matches played during 2018 at ITF level tournaments in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Portugal and Spain. 

In addition to the match-fixing charges, the player was also found guilty of not co-operating with a Tennis Integrity Unit investigation. Over the course of three separate interviews he refused to comply fully with requests to provide his mobile phone for forensic examination, and failed to supply financial records.

Mr Matos was provisionally suspended from tennis on 6 December 2018, pending completion of the TIU disciplinary case against him.

Today’s decision from Prof McLaren means that he is now permanently prohibited from competing in, or attending, any sanctioned event organised or recognised by the governing bodies of the sport.

The 31-year old is currently ranked 373 in ATP doubles and has a career-best ranking of 241 in December 2018. As a singles player his highest ranking is 580 in April 2012.  

The breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program he has been convicted of are:

Section D.1.d: "No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, contrive or attempt to contrive the outcome or any other aspect of any Event."

Section D.2.c: “For the avoidance of doubt, a failure by any Covered Person to comply with (i) the reporting obligations set out in Section D.2; and/or (ii) the duty to cooperate under Section F.2 shall constitute a Corruption Offense for all purposes of the Program.

The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Board, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP and the WTA, who are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to corruption in tennis.