- Grigor Sargsyan tennis fixing tales are legendary
- Sargsyan was a connected man with deal makers in every corner of the world
- The Armenian immigrant lived in Belgium and stunningly, he had no prior tennis experience
Grigor Sargsyan tennis fixing tales are legendary but it all ended in June 2018 when police pounced on him in the Belgian capital, Brussels. The Armenian was, incidentally, doing what he did best; fixing matches. Sargsyan was a connected man with deal makers in every corner of the world.
He was striking deals ready to fix the W25 Hua Hin tournament in Thailand. Sargsyan was haggling with sportsmen he painstakingly recruited over the years. He needed them to toss a match, a set, or even just a point so that he could wager on the results with a worldwide network of accomplices.
The Armenian immigrant lived in Belgium and stunningly, he had no prior tennis experience, but still managed to turn $350 in savings into billions. He was coy, but opportunistic, traits that saw him build a multi-billion-dollar empire. Eventually, he ended up in prison.
Grigor Sargsyan Biggest Tennis Fixing
Of billionaire empires in the world, Grigor Sargsyan biggest tennis fixing racket earned him a direct ticket to this club. Fixing matches gave him the impetus to earn unimaginable wealth. He penetrated the sport, paying pros more to lose matches, or parts of matches. He then staked a lot of money by winning championships.
His criminal outfit had over 180 professional players from five continents. He gained the unofficial label “the Maestro” in the tennis community since it was one of the largest match-fixing rings in modern sports. He knew how to comfort those who were anxious. ‘The Maestro’ conveyed his offers like an auctioneer, knowing when to be upfront and businesslike.
Arthur Fils. Photo/ ATP Tour.
On the evening of June 18, 2018, Sargsyan adopted the strategy that would prove to be his final one as a match-fixer. He clarified to Bulgarian player Aleksandrina Naydenova—who is fighting to place in the top 200 in the world—that she had the option to decide how badly she wanted to lose a set.
He wrote that she would get 1,000 euros if she lost her first service game. She would have made 1,200 euros if she lost the second one. Only that she lost those games mattered, not whether she prevailed in the match.
HOW IS MATCH-FIXING DONE?
Tennis match fixing refers to tampering with a match in order to profit from gambling. Money or presents are given to players who perform poorly, lose matches, or throw particular sets. Big wagers on an improbable result may be an indication of a fix.
To sway bets, players can agree on a predetermined score or adopt a particular style of play. To predict results, bettors may receive information from coaches or other players’ acquaintances. These strategies are frequently covert. To avoid becoming suspicious, a player may “tank” (perform poorly) indiscreetly. The Tennis Integrity Unit works tirelessly in identifying and prosecuting people who are involved in match-fixing.
WHO IS THE BEST MATCH FIXER IN THE WORLD?
While match fixers reign in every sport, the Armenian takes it home as far as tennis courts are involved. According to the Washington Post, Sargsyan’s phones were a gold mine for his enterprise and he guarded them with his all. He frantically tried to grab them when police stormed his parents’ Belgium house but he wasn’t lucky. They handcuffed him and confiscated the phones which formed a strong base for the prosecution.
Sargsyan allegedly targeted Futures and Challenger Tour participants having financial difficulties. Among them was Younes Rachidi, who set a record by committing 135 match-fixing infractions in less than a decade. Rachidi was slapped with a lifetime ban in 2023 but escaped criminal charges.
Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek. Photo/USOpen.org
He belonged to a long line of gamblers in tennis. They wagered on big events like Wimbledon and the U.S. Open for decades. Nevertheless, he saw a new era in tennis gambling. It became feasible to wager on minor competitions held in far-off cities thanks to the expansion of internet connectivity and the relaxation of gambling regulations.
The Armenian discovered that there were hundreds of obscure matches available for betting on all across the world. On the periphery of the sport, bookmakers were encouraging bets on competitions. The victors of these Futures or Challengers competitions sometimes made only enough money to cover their lodging expenses. He reasoned that a subpar player might also be corruptible. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
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