Spanish tennis player gets 15-year ban for match-fixing and bribery despite not playing since 2018

A SPANISH tennis player has been banned until 2039 for match-fixing, despite hanging up his racket six years ago.

Aaron Cortes Alcaraz, 29, has been suspended from competing for 15 years after he admitted to match-fixing, taking bribes, betting on tennis and giving money to officials to get a wild card entry, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.

He admitted to 35 violations under ITIA rules between 2016 and 2018, and has been fined €69,000- of which €50,000 has been suspended if he does not reoffend.

Cortes Alcaraz reached a career-high ATP ranking of 955 in September 2017.

The ban is somewhat symbolic, as the Costa Blanca-based player has not been on the scene for a few years, having last played doubles in a low-ranking 2018 event in Xativa.

He has instead been working as a Padel Tennis Coach and according to his social media profile, he’s the head coach at the North Costa Blanca Padel Tennis Club at Cumbre del Sol.

He previously had a similar role at the Innate Active resort at Sol Park, Teulada.

Cortes Alcaraz, who fully cooperated with the probe, is also banned from attending, training, and coaching at tennis events authorised by ITIA members, including the ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, French Tennis Federation, Wimbledon and USTA, or any national association.

Padel tennis has its own international federation and rules of conduct, and has no affiliation to the ITIA.