Tennis has witnessed a steady stream of integrity-related cases in recent months, with the ITIA registering more than 20 anti-corruption violations over the last six months. Just as that wave appeared to be easing, Russian player Anastasia Sukhotina became the latest name to be sanctioned after breaching the sport’s anti-corruption rules, resulting in a significant suspension.

The ban will keep the 26-year-old out of the game for close to five years, nearly ending her sporting career.

Sukhotina, who reached a career-high world ranking of 607 in August 2019, also got fined $30,000, of which $22,500 has been suspended. The ban was applied on July 17 and will last until May 16, 2031.

The case had multiple stages. Sukhotina first refused to acknowledge the charges filed against her by the ITIA but later accepted the sanction without waiting for the decision from the independent tribunal. She confessed to eight violations of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program from 2019 to 2024. The ITIA said the severity of those breaches grew during that stretch, starting with an attempt to bet on tennis matches, then to corrupt other players, and eventually destroying evidence that could be used in an investigation against her.

The Russian’s career had been limited to the ITF circuit, the lower-level part of the professional tour, and she had never made it to the more prominent events of the WTA Tour. This background reflects a recurring theme at the ITIA level, where more and more instances are coming from there. The problem leads to minimal prize money, easy access to lower-tier matches with minimal oversight enables manipulation.

A similar case took place in 2024. Jasmina Tinjic, a 35-year-old Bosnian player, received a six-year ban for 23 offences, including fixing matches and taking cash for knowingly underperforming.

There’s an ongoing effort by the ITIA to root out corruption by taking stricter actions and increasing prize money for lower-ranked players. It is important to increase prize money, as it’s very difficult for players to sustain themselves and reach the upper ranks. Meanwhile, they seek out external ways to earn that money. 

Another player provisionally suspended

The sentencing of Sukhotina coincided with another separate case that is currently scrutinizing the sport’s integrity mechanisms. The ITIA confirmed it has provisionally suspended Yalchin Manafli, captain of Azerbaijan’s Davis Cup team, after he refused a request to allow investigators to examine his phone as part of an ongoing inquiry. That provisional suspension took effect on June 11, 2026, and remains in place while the underlying investigation continues. 

Manafli, who also acted as a Tournament Director at some World Tennis Tour events in Azerbaijan, exercised his right to challenge the provisional suspension in the presence of an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer. That appeal was dismissed by AHO Philippe Cavalieros, who found that substantial evidence supported the decision to suspend Manafli while the investigation into his conduct proceeds. He has not been found guilty of any actual anti-corruption violation, and the case is ongoing.

Both now face the same restrictions during the time of sanctions. Neither will be allowed to participate in, coach in, or attend any World Tennis, WTA, ATP, Grand Slams, or national tennis association-sponsored or sanctioned event during the length of their respective suspensions. Manafli’s case is still so fresh and will depend on the findings of the ITIA’s underlying investigation for any additional action to be taken, but for Sukhotina, the ban goes until 2031, effectively shutting her out of any realistic path forward in competitive tennis. 

The Russian was already competing at the lowest level of the sport, and she will have to resort to a normal life for at least half a decade. Maintaining competitive fitness without competition for five years is unprecedented. The ban has effectively ended her career before it gained momentum.