After being found guilty on a number of corruption-related charges, the International Tennis Integrity Agency has issued a 15-year ban to Spanish tennis player Aaron Cortes.
Cortes has admitted 35 violations of the ITIA Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme. The charges relate to activities between 2016 and 2018
Breach includes influencing the outcomes of an event, taking money in order to influence them and not reporting corrupt methods. Cortes was also accused by the ITIA of betting on tennis, and providing money to tournament officials as a form of exchange for wild cards.
He fully cooperated with the ITIA’s investigation. The 29-year old, who achieved a high career ranking in singles of 955 at the end of September 2017, was a full-time employee. The 29-year-old accepted a sanction agreed upon and waived his right to an anticorruption hearing.
Cortes is therefore banned between 27 March 2024 and 26 March 2039. Cortes was also ordered to pay $75,000 in fines (PS59.823/EUR70.039), of which $56,250 is suspended.
Cortes is not allowed to play, coach or attend any events sanctioned or authorised by ITIA or its members.
ITIA tackles tennis corruption
Cortes has become the latest person to face a ban for corruption. In recent weeks, the ITIA issued sanctions as part of its crackdown against such activities.
The ITIA can also take action against officials.
The suspension of Manuel Guion, an Italian government official for five years and six month was announced this week following violations of TACP. The suspension runs from the 5th of February, 2024 until 4th August, 2029.
Marko Stojanovic, a Croatian official, was suspended for the same period of time in March. The ITIA found multiple violations of the TACP including the manipulation of match data for betting.
Andrea Rita, an Italian footballer, was also banned for 15 months after she violated the rules of betting. Maxence Broville, a Frenchman who refused to cooperate with an investigation into anti-corruption, was banned from playing for seven years.
Tennis and wider issues
In recent weeks, the ITIA has faced a number of other problems.
The ITIA sanctioned Luis Horna, a former Davis Cup player who was also the director of the Peruvian Tournament and a Davis Cup Captain for violating sponsorship betting rules. Horna cooperated fully with the probe and didn’t contest the charges.
Dragos Nicolas Madaras, a Swedish footballer, was also suspended for 4.5 years. Madaras was suspended after he failed to provide a device to be examined when asked to.
