Spanish tennis player Aaron Cortes banned to 2039 for corruption

A Spanish tennis player has been banned from the sport until 2039 after admitting to 35 corruption charges.

Aaron Cortes, 29, fixed the outcome of matches for money, bet on tennis, failed to report corrupt approaches and gave money to tournament officials in exchange for a wildcard, said the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

It gave him a 15-year ban and fined him $75,000, of which $56,250 is suspended.

The offences took place between 2016 and 2018.

The ITIA was set up to safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.

It said Cortes, who reached a career-high singles ranking of 955, “co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation and accepted an agreed sanction”.

He is banned from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the Association of Tennis Professionals, International Tennis Federation, Women’s Tennis Association, or any national association.