Ghorbel has been found guilty of four breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP). As a result, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has decided to suspend Ghorbel and impose a $20,000 (£15,743/€18,365) fine. The suspension will be in effect from 4 January to 3 January 2027. These breaches are related to match-fixing incidents that occurred in 2016 and 2017. Ghorbel, despite having a career-high world singles ranking of 479 in 2016, denies all charges. The specific TACP breaches include two instances of failing to report a corrupt approach and one instance each of facilitating betting on match outcomes and contriving match outcomes or aspects.
Due to the suspension, Ghorbel is prohibited from participating in, coaching at, or attending tennis events authorized by ITIA members or national associations.
Ghorbel is among several tennis players who are facing penalties in connection with a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium. The ITIA has collaborated with Belgian authorities to bring charges against members of the syndicate, resulting in the sentence of syndicate leader Grigor Sargsyan to five years in prison. Last week, Leny Mitjana, a French tennis player, was banned for 10 years after being found guilty of corruption and match-fixing offenses. In total, the ITIA has banned 22 players and officials in the last three months as part of the ongoing crackdown.
