A Serbian tennis player has received a 24-year ban from the sport due to his involvement in match-fixing, a situation that the ITIA characterized as part of a “corrupt network,” a decision announced on Thursday.
According to an investigation by the agency, Stefan Milićević was found to have fixed six matches and attempted to manipulate six more over a span of four years.
Along with the lengthy ban, he was hit with a fine of $70,000, which means he won’t be eligible to play professionally until 2050, making him around 53 years old at that time.
His offenses reportedly occurred from 2022 to 2024, during which he participated in five of the fixed matches. In total, Milićević took part in 11 professional matches, all within the third tier of the tennis tour, as recorded by World Tennis.
Interestingly, he reached a career-high ranking of 1,338 in men’s singles and even tried to engage other players in his schemes.
The investigation revealed that he contacted others to join what the ITIA described as a “corrupt network,” leading to multiple other players fixing their matches as well.
However, the ITIA chose not to disclose specific matches that were fixed or the names of any additional players involved.
Despite making seven attempts to elicit a response from Milićević during this year’s investigation, he declined to cooperate. Notably, the agency stated that this lack of cooperation didn’t influence the severity of his punishment.
With this ban in place, he’s barred from playing, coaching, or attending any events that are organized or sanctioned by World Tennis, ATP, WTA, or any national associations, including Grand Slam tournaments.
Milićević’s case follows that of Quentin Folliot from France, who was banned for 20 years last December for his prominent role in another match-fixing scheme. Additionally, China’s Pang Renlong faced a 12-year ban after committing offenses in a brief five-month period.
Before his professional career, Milićević played tennis at the University of Minnesota and later took on a coaching role at DePaul University in Chicago.
