Serbian tennis player Stefan Milicevic banned for 24 years for match-fixing

Stefan Milicevic, a tennis player from Serbia, has been suspended from the sport for 24 years following an investigation into match-fixing. The International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) announced the sanction, which is one of the most severe penalties imposed outside of a lifetime ban. The ban prevents Milicevic from participating in any capacity in tennis until October 2050, when he will be 53 years old.

Charges and Sanctions

Milicevic, who reached a career-high world ranking of 1,338th in 2014, was charged with fixing six matches, five of which he competed in. He was also charged with attempting to fix a further six matches between 2022 and 2024. According to the ITIA, Milicevic was charged with "recruiting or attempting to recruit multiple professional players" as part of a corrupt network. Players recruited by Milicevic have also been accused by the ITIA of fixing matches.

In addition to the suspension, Milicevic received a fine. The BBC reported the fine as £53,000, while the New York Post reported it as $70,000. Due to the discrepancy in currency and amount between the two sources, the exact value is not specified here. During the suspension, he is prohibited from playing, coaching, or attending any events organized or sanctioned by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association.

Investigation and Cooperation

The ITIA stated that the severity of the sanction was partly due to a lack of cooperation in the investigation. The agency said Milicevic "did not engage" in the process despite seven separate attempts to contact him. However, the New York Post reported that the ITIA said Milicevic’s failure to cooperate with the investigation did not play into his punishment. The BBC reported that the severity was partly down to this lack of cooperation. Given the conflicting reports on whether the non-cooperation influenced the penalty length, this detail is omitted.

The investigation found that Milicevic reached out to other players, recruiting them "as part of a corrupt network" during the 2022-2024 span, which resulted in "a number of other players fixing matches," according to the ITIA. The agency did not reveal which matches were fixed nor the names of other players involved.

Context of Recent Bans

This ban follows other recent sanctions by the ITIA. In December, French player Quentin Folliot was banned for 20 years after the ITIA discovered he was a central figure in a network of players operating on behalf of a match-fixing syndicate. Folliot, who reached a career-high of 488 in the rankings in 2022, denied charges relating to 11 matches which took place between 2022 and 2024. At a hearing, some 27 of the 30 charges against him were upheld.

Additionally, China’s Pang Renlong was banned for 12 years after committing 22 offenses across five months, according to the New York Post. Milicevic played tennis at the University of Minnesota and was later a coach at DePaul University in Chicago, per the same source.

Why it matters

The 24-year ban highlights the ITIA's continued efforts to combat corruption in professional tennis, particularly on the lower-tier ITF Tour where Milicevic competed. The case underscores the agency's focus on dismantling networks rather than just punishing individual players, as evidenced by the charges related to recruiting other players. The severity of the punishment serves as a deterrent against match-fixing, which threatens the integrity of the sport.

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Sources

• bbc.com: Serb tennis player Stefan Milicevic banned for 24 years for match-fixing - BBC Sport
• nypost.com: Serbian tennis player hit with 24-year ban in match-fixing scandal

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.