Serbian tennis player handed 24-year ban for match-fixing

Key points

• Serbian tennis player Stefan Milicevic received a 24-year ban for match-fixing.
• The ITIA said he led a corrupt network from 2022 to 2024 and fixed six matches.
• He was fined $70,000 and did not cooperate with the investigation.

Serbian tennis player Stefan Milicevic has been banned for 24 years after being found to have led a match-fixing network, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday. The 29-year-old, whose highest ATP ranking was 1338, was also fined 70,000 US dollars (£52,800).

According to the ITIA, Milicevic fixed six matches between 2022 and 2024, five of which he played in, and attempted to fix six more. He did not engage or cooperate with the investigation.

Corrupt network and recruitment

The ITIA said Milicevic recruited or attempted to recruit multiple professional players as part of a corrupt network during the same period, leading to other players fixing matches.

His suspension will end on October 8, 2050, when he would be 53 years old. While suspended, he is not allowed to play in, coach at, or attend any events organised or sanctioned by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association.

Milicevic was also charged with recruiting or attempting to recruit multiple professional players as part of a corrupt network during the same period, resulting in a number of other players fixing matches.

— ITIA