The International Tennis Integrity Agency has banned Serbian tennis player Stefan Milićević for 24 years and fined him after an investigation found he fixed six matches and attempted to fix six more between 2022 and 2024. The regulator also concluded that he recruited or tried to recruit other professional players into a corrupt network, leading to further fixed matches. The sanction runs until 8 October 2050, when Milićević will be 53.
How the ITIA said Milićević broke the rules
Milićević, 29, was found guilty of fixing six matches, five of which he played in himself, and of attempting to fix a further six during the same period, according to iGaming Business. His highest ATP singles ranking was 1,338 in August 2014, and his professional career was mostly at lower-level events, including 22 tournaments on the ITF Tour between 2013 and 2023. The agency said he also recruited or tried to involve several other professional players in a corrupt network responsible for match-fixing by an unspecified number of those individuals. The ITIA has not identified the matches or named the other players implicated. Milićević played college tennis at the University of Minnesota and later worked as a tennis coach at DePaul University in Chicago.
Seven contact attempts and a deemed sanction
ITIA officials tried to contact Milićević seven times through multiple channels during the 2026 investigation, but he did not respond or cooperate at any stage, as reported by Yahoo Sports. After completing the inquiry, the agency issued a Notice of Major Offence on 24 September 2026 and received no reply. Instead of sending the case to an anti-corruption hearing officer, the ITIA used its deemed-sanction procedure, and the ban began on 9 October 2026. The ITIA's announcement cited a $70,000 fine, although a News.com.au report said the figure was $100,000. An ITIA spokesperson said the long suspension reflected the seriousness of the offences and the player's efforts to bring in other players, not his failure to cooperate.
Restrictions until 2050
During the suspension, Milićević may not compete in, coach at, or attend any events organised or sanctioned by the ATP, WTA, ITF, the four Grand Slam tournaments or any national tennis association. The ban took effect on 9 October 2026 and will end on 8 October 2050.
Other players and wider integrity cases
The regulator found that Milićević's recruitment of others resulted in a number of further fixed matches. Last year the ITIA issued five bans or suspensions in a Belgian case, including a lifetime ban and $75,000 fine for Yannick Thivant. French player Quentin Folliot received a 20-year suspension for match-fixing and was ordered to pay a $105,000 fine and repay corrupt payments worth more than $66,000, according to News.com.au. The ITIA said Folliot was a central figure in a group of players acting for a match-fixing syndicate.
Doubles partner under investigation
Milićević's former doubles partner Marino Jakic, 23, was provisionally suspended by the ITIA in June 2026 while an investigation continues into possible anti-corruption violations from 2023, according to Yahoo Sports. No final sanction has been imposed in that case. Milićević and Jakic reached a doubles final at an event in Osijek, Croatia, in August 2023.
