The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has issued one of the harshest rulings in its practice. According to the organization, 29-year-old Serbian tennis player Stefan Milicevic has been banned from any sports-related activity for 24 years and fined $70,000 USD. The sanctions come into force amid a systemic crackdown on corruption in world tennis and effectively close the path to professional sports for the athlete until October 2050.

Charges and investigation results

The anti-corruption agency found Milicevic guilty of fixing the outcomes of six matches, in five of which he directly participated, as well as attempting to influence the outcome of another six encounters between 2022 and 2024. Investigators established that the Serb actively recruited and tried to involve other professional players in a corruption network, leading to match-fixing involving other athletes. The circumstances of the case were exacerbated by the tennis player's own behavior: he completely ignored seven attempts by the organization to contact him and refused to give testimony.

Scope of sanctions

As a result, the ITIA disqualified Milicevic for 24 years and imposed a fine of $70,000 USD. Under the sanctions, the Serb is prohibited from playing, coaching, or even attending any official events sanctioned by the ATP, WTA, and ITF until October 2050. Thus, the decision effectively ends his professional career, which had not reached significant heights at the senior level anyway.

Career: from junior titles to a marginal ranking

In his younger years, Milicevic was considered a promising athlete: he holds six European Junior Championship titles and one ITF title. However, his senior professional career turned out less successfully. His highest career singles ranking on the ATP was 1338th in August 2014, and throughout his career at ATP tournaments, he earned just $4,858 in prize money. The tennis player played his last official match in June 2024.

Context: the trend toward severe sanctions

Such stringent measures are becoming systematic in the fight against tennis corruption. For example, in December 2025, the ITIA disqualified Frenchman Quentin Folliot for 20 years after proving his involvement in 27 anti-corruption rule breaches. Milicevic's case with its 24-year ban continues this line and will likely become one of the most severe precedents in the agency's history.