The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced a significant penalty on Friday, imposing a 24-year ban and a $70,000 fine on Serbian tennis player Stefan Milićević for a series of violations of anti-corruption regulations within the sport.
Milićević, who reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 1,338 in August 2014, has been found guilty of fixing six matches between 2022 and 2024, five of which were matches in which he actively participated. In addition to these fixed matches, the 29-year-old attempted to fix another six matches within the same timeframe.
The investigation, which spanned over several months in 2026, revealed that Milićević also sought to recruit fellow professional players into a corrupt network linked to match-fixing activities involving an unspecified number of those players.
Throughout the extensive investigation, ITIA officials made seven separate attempts to contact Milićević through various channels. However, he did not respond or cooperate at any stage of the process. On September 24, 2026, the agency issued a Notice of Major Offence, which Milićević also failed to address. As a result, the ITIA activated its deemed-sanction procedure, leading to the lengthy ban and monetary penalty.
The ban, effective from October 9, 2026, will last until October 8, 2050, when Milićević will be 53 years old. As part of the ban's stipulations, he is barred from playing, coaching, or attending any tennis events that are organized or sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the four Grand Slam tournaments, or any national tennis associations.
The ITIA continues its aggressive approach to combat match-fixing, with bans frequently being the preferred disciplinary measure. Last year, the agency issued five bans or suspensions linked to a major corruption case in Belgium, where Yannick Thivant, Thomas Brechemier, Gabriel Petit, Thomas Setodji, and Hugo Daubias were sanctioned, with Thivant notably receiving a lifetime ban and a $75,000 fine.
