The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Friday that Serbian tennis player Stefan Milićević has been banned for 24 years and fined $70,000 for violating tennis' anti-corruption regulations multiple times.
Milićević, 29, who reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 1,338 in August 2014, was found guilty of fixing six matches between 2022 and 2024, with five of those matches involving his direct participation. Additionally, he attempted to fix six other matches during the same timeframe.
The ITIA report revealed that Milićević was involved in recruiting, or attempting to recruit, other professional players to join a corrupt match-fixing network. Throughout a comprehensive investigation conducted over 2026, ITIA officials made seven attempts to reach Milićević through various channels, but he did not respond or cooperate at any point.
Following the inquiry, the ITIA issued a Notice of Major Offence on September 24, 2026. Once again, Milićević did not respond, prompting the ITIA to implement its deemed-sanction procedure, which ultimately led to the lengthy ban and substantial fine.
The suspension commenced on October 9, 2026, and will remain in force until October 8, 2050, when Milićević will be 53 years old. During this period, he is banned from playing, coaching, or attending any tennis events organized or sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the four Grand Slam tournaments, and any national tennis associations.
The ITIA's commitment to combating match-fixing is evident in their ongoing enforcement activities, which often result in significant bans. For instance, last year, the agency announced five sanctions in a single action related to a Belgian corruption case, with Yannick Thivant receiving a lifetime ban and a $75,000 fine.
