Serbian tennis player handed 24-year ban for match-fixing — SkimNews
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- Stefan Milicevic has been banned from tennis for 24 years (until October 8, 2050) after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) found he led a "corrupt network" of match-fixing between 2022 and 2024.
- The ITIA ruled that Milicevic fixed six matches—five of which he played in—and attempted to fix six more, while also charging him with recruiting or attempting to recruit multiple professional players into the network.
- Milicevic, whose highest ATP singles ranking was 1338, did not engage or cooperate with the ITIA's investigation and was additionally fined $70,000 (approximately £52,800).
- During the suspension, Milicevic is barred from playing in, coaching at, or attending any event organised or sanctioned by World Tennis, the WTA, the ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association.
- The ban will expire on October 8, 2050, when Milicevic would be 53 years old—effectively a lifetime ban given his current age of 29.
Why it matters: For a 29-year-old whose peak ATP ranking was just 1338, a 24-year ban is effectively a lifetime exclusion from professional tennis, and the ITIA extended the penalty beyond playing to bar him from coaching at or even attending any sanctioned event worldwide. The $70,000 fine layered on top demonstrates the ITIA's willingness to impose maximum sanctions on lower-ranked players who act as central organisers of match-fixing rings rather than just peripheral participants.
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