Chinese tennis player Pang Renlong suspended for 12 years after becoming the latest player to be sanctioned for match fixing

Chinese tennis player Pang Renlong has been severely punished following a widespread match fixing scandal. He has been handed a lengthy 12-year suspension and been fined a whopping $110,000.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Friday that the tennis player had admitted to fixing five of his own lower tier matches. Adding to this, he also admitted to making 'corrupt approaches' to other players in 11 other matches, six of them were fixed. 

These were committed between May and September 2024, occurring in ITF tournaments located primarily in his native China along with events in Turkey and Hong Kong.

Pang, who reached a career-high ranking of world number 1,316, regularly competed on the ITF Circuit. The matches which were fixed were not noted by the ITIA. In this period the 25-year-old had participated in qualifying for the ATP Challenger Jinan Open in China - in which he lost 6-1 6-2 to then-world No712 Mo Ye Cong. 

It is a firm statement of intent with the sentence being handed to him, as the ITIA look to cut down on match fixing in tennis. The 12-years away from tennis has him down to make a return to the sport in 2036, with time that he has already been suspended incorporated in the suspension, beginning from November 7. Of the hefty $110,000 fine, $70,000 of which has been suspended. The ban is not just playing tennis. He has been strictly permitted from coaching or attending any events sanctioned by major tennis organisations or national federations.

This news comes in the wake of French tennis player Quentin Folliot. The 26-year-old had also been found guilty of match fixing and was heavily punished for this. He committed 27 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program. In total, 27 of 30 charges were upheld which related to 10 of 11 specified matches under investigation. 

This came with a huge punishment. He is currently serving a 20-year suspension from tennis and all related activities in the sport. Added to that, he was fined $70,000 while being forced to pay back $44,000 in bribes. 

It was the sixth tennis player sanctioned by the ITIA as they ramp up their investigation into match fixing, looking to cut it out for good in the sport. Especially lower level match fixing can be found with players struggling to make it in the sport. With money tight and a motivation to keep their tennis career going, some players avert to this method for cash but the risk of being caught increasing with the ITIA looking to prevent this from continuing, while making examples of players such as Folliot and Renlong.