Banned for life in tennis after match fixing — got a wildcard to Premier Padel

Two years ago, promising tennis player Youssef Hossam was sentenced to a lifetime ban from tennis for match-fixing. Now the Egyptian is playing Premier Padel on home soil after receiving a wildcard from the organization. 

Youssef Hossam had a career-high ranking of number 8 on the ITF Junior Circuit, 562 in the ATP ranking, and represented Egypt in Davis Cup. 

Two years ago, Hossam was found guilty of 21 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption program from 2015 to 2019. The offenses were eight cases of match-fixing, six cases of facilitating gambling, two cases of soliciting other players not to use their best efforts, three failures to report corrupt approaches, and two failures to cooperate with a Tennis Integrity Unit investigation The player was banned for life from tennis. 

Hossam is excluded from competing in or attending any sanctioned tennis event organized or recognized by the governing bodies of the sport.

Now Youssef Hossam is playing in the Premier Padel tournament in Giza after receiving a wildcard from the organization. 

His brother also suspended

Together with Ahmed Alaa Marzouk (also WC), the pair was the 39th on the seeding list and went out earlier today against young Spaniards Pablo Cardona and Joseda Sanchez by 6-2, 6-1. 

Two years before the verdict in 2018, Hossam's brother, tennis player Karim Hossam, was also sentenced to a lifetime ban from tennis after fixing matches.