29-yo tennis player, hailing from Djokovic's country, handed 24-year ban

Representational Photo (AP)

Stefan Milicevic has been banned from the sport until October 2050 after being charged with match-fixing and attempting to recruit players into an alleged corruption network. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the suspension on Thursday, along with a $70,000 fine.Milicevic hails from Serbia, a country with a rich tennis tradition that has produced several world-class players, most notably Novak Djokovic.The 29-year-old was accused of fixing six matches, five of which he played in, and attempting to manipulate the outcomes of six additional matches between 2022 and 2024.

The ITIA also charged him with recruiting or trying to recruit several professional players into a network allegedly involved in match-fixing during that period.Milicevic, who mainly competed in lower-tier tournaments, achieved a career-best singles ranking of 1,338 in 2014. According to the ITIA, the alleged network led to other players fixing matches. However, the agency did not reveal the specific matches involved or name the other players suspected of taking part.The ITIA said Milicevic failed to cooperate with its investigation and did not respond to its findings, despite seven attempts to contact him.

His lack of engagement was cited as a factor in determining the severity of the sanction.Under the terms of the ban, Milicevic is prohibited from competing in, coaching at or attending tournaments organised or sanctioned by the ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, World Tennis or any national tennis association.

The suspension will keep him out of the sport until he turns 53.

Folliot also banned for 20 years

Milicevic's punishment comes after French tennis player Quentin Folliot received a 20-year ban in December following an investigation that identified him as a central figure in an alleged match-fixing network operating on behalf of a syndicate.Folliot, who reached a career-high singles ranking of 488 in 2022, denied allegations concerning 11 matches played between 2022 and 2024. However, following a hearing, 27 of the 30 charges against him were upheld, covering 10 of those matches.