Tennis player Ksenia Palkina’s career is all but over after she was handed a 16-year ban, one of the longest in tennis history, for match-fixing. Six of those years have been suspended. With the ban backdated to the start of her provisional suspension in November 2019, she may theoretically return to the sport at the end of 2029.
However, given that she will then be 39, a comeback can be viewed as highly unlikely. And, even then, she will only be allowed to pick up a racquet in anger again provided that she does not further breach the provision of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme in the meantime.
Russia-born Palkina is also prohibited from laying in, or attending, any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by an international tennis governing body or national association during her ban.
In addition to the ban, she has also been fined GBP 75,000, although GBP 69,600 of that has been suspended.
Once ranked as high as 163 in the world, she was found to have breached four sections of the Anti-Corruption rules between 2018 and 2019, including attempting to contrive to fix the outcome, or any other event in a match, failing to give her best efforts during a match, and agreeing to receive any money benefit or consideration for her conduct. She was also in contravention of the provisions regarding failure to report illegal approaches to the appropriate anti-corruption officials.
Palkina won 11 singles and 27 doubles titles on the ITF women’s tour, and reached her highest singles’ ranking of 163 in June 2009. Her case is a reminder that tennis players, especially those outside the top 100, are often susceptible to such illegal approaches. Tennis is globally the second-most bet-on sport, after football. Those at the top of the sport may be very well-remunerated, earnings tail off drastically outside the top players.
Those on tour, especially the ones who fail to attract sponsorship, are entirely dependent on what they win at tournaments. That pays for their travel costs, coaches, and even their equipment.
With many struggling to break even, a few are persuaded to cross the line.