Russian tennis player Yana Sizikova cleared of match-fixing allegations after 2 years

Russian tennis player Yana Sizikova arrested on suspicion of match-fixing during the 2021 French Open has been cleared of charges by the Paris prosecutor's office, her lawyer said on Thursday, adding that she would compete at this year's Roland Garros as well.

Frédéric Bélot said in a message to The Associated Press that the case involving Yana Sizikova was closed last month "considering that criminal proceedings could not be initiated, as the facts of which Ms. Sizikova was accused could not be established." The Paris prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sizikova, who is ranked 50th in doubles, was arrested and briefly placed in custody after competing in French Open doubles match two years ago. She denied the allegations.

The prosecutor's office said at the time that Sizikova was arrested for “sports bribery and organized fraud for acts likely to have been committed in September 2020.” The prosecutor's office said the probe centered on suspicions about one match at Roland Garros, which was played in September and October 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The case was opened by a French police unit specializing in betting fraud and match-fixing. It previously worked with Belgian authorities investigating suspect matches at the lower levels of professional tennis.

“Mrs. Sizikova, who has always maintained her innocence, is therefore definitively cleared of all suspicion,” Bélot said.