Serbian tennis player Stefan Milicevic has been handed a 24-year ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on charges of match-fixing. The 29-year-old is accused of fixing six matches in total, including five that he played in. Additionally, he is alleged to have attempted to fix six more matches between 2022 and 2024. The ITIA also imposed a £53,000 fine on Milicevic for failing to cooperate with the investigation and for not responding to seven contact attempts. Kathmandu, 30 Ashoj.
Milicevic’s 24-year ban for involvement in match-fixing represents one of the strictest penalties in tennis after lifetime bans for corruption. According to the ITIA, Milicevic, who competes in the lower tiers of professional tennis, was part of a corruption network and tried to recruit other professional players.
The primary reason for the severity of the ban was Milicevic’s lack of cooperation during the investigation. Despite seven attempts by the independent investigative body to contact him, Milicevic refused to participate in the process. Along with the ban, he was fined £53,000. The ban will remain in effect until October 2050, when he will be 53 years old. During this period, he is prohibited from participating as a player or coach, or even attending, any events organized or sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation, Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Grand Slam tournaments, or any national tennis federation.
