NEW DELHI: Spanish tennis player Aaron Cortes has been banned for a period of 15 years after admitting to 35 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.
Cortes' period of ineligibility began on March 27, 2024 and ends at midnight on March 26, 2039. Besides a 15-year ban, the player has been fined USD 75,000, of which USD 56,250 is suspended.
Cortes, who reached a career-high world singles ranking of 955 in September 2017, admitted to 35 breaches of the TACP between 2016 and 2018, including contriving the outcome of events, accepting money to contrive the outcome of events, failure to report corrupt approaches, wagering on tennis, and providing money to tournament officials in exchange for a wild card, according to ITIA statement.
The ITIA said that 29-year-old Cortes "co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation and accepted an agreed sanction, waiving their right to a hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer."
During the period of ineligibility, Cortes is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Federation Francaise de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association.