Serbian tennis player Stefan Milicevic has been handed a significant 24-year suspension from the sport following an extensive investigation into match-fixing. The penalty, which ranks among the most severe ever issued by anti-corruption investigators short of a lifetime ban, will keep the 29-year-old out of professional tennis until October 2050, when he will be 53.
The International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) confirmed the sanction includes a £53,000 fine. During his suspension, Milicevic is strictly prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis events sanctioned by the ATP, WTA, the Grand Slams, World Tennis, or any national association.
Investigators concluded that Milicevic, who reached a career-high world ranking of 1,338th in 2014, was involved in fixing six matches, including five in which he personally competed. Furthermore, he faced charges related to the attempted fixing of six additional matches between 2022 and 2024. Beyond his own actions, the ITIA stated he was responsible for recruiting or attempting to recruit other professional players to act as part of a corrupt network. These recruits are also facing accusations of match-fixing. Foillot, 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, including eight which he played in.
The severity of the punishment was compounded by Milicevic’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation. The ITIA reported that the player failed to engage in the process despite seven separate attempts to make contact.
Between 2013 and 2023, Milicevic participated in 22 professional tournaments on the lower-tier ITF circuit. His case follows a similar crackdown in December, when French player Quentin Folliot was issued a 20-year ban. Folliot was identified as a central figure in a match-fixing syndicate, with 27 out of 30 charges against him upheld, concerning 10 matches that occurred between 2022 and 2024.
