A Ban That Stretches Decades
The International Tennis Integrity Authority has issued one of the most severe punishments in the sport's history, handing Serbian player Stefan Milicevic a 24-year ban for match-fixing. The ruling, announced on October 15, 2026, bars the 29-year-old from all tennis activity until October 8, 2050, at which point he will be 53 years old. The suspension covers not just playing, but coaching and even attending any event sanctioned by the ATP, WTA, the Grand Slams, or any national tennis association.
Milicevic, whose career peaked at a world ranking of 1,338 back in 2014, competed primarily on the lower-tier ITF circuit, playing in 22 professional tournaments between 2013 and 2023. The ITIA found him guilty of fixing six matches, five of which he personally competed in, and attempting to fix a further six between 2022 and 2024. He was also fined 70,000 US dollars (approximately 52,800 British pounds).
A Network of Corruption
What makes this case particularly alarming is the organized nature of the wrongdoing. Authorities determined that Milicevic actively recruited other professional players into what the ITIA described as a "corrupt network," with several of those recruited players subsequently facing their own match-fixing accusations.
The length of the ban was significantly influenced by Milicevic's total lack of cooperation. The ITIA made seven separate attempts to contact him during the investigation, none of which received any engagement. This refusal to participate played a major role in the severity of the punishment.
This case follows a 20-year ban handed to French player Quentin Folliot, who was identified as a central figure in a similar syndicate. TennisDraw users tracking integrity news will want to follow how the ITIA continues pursuing corruption at the tour's lower levels.
