News that Serbian tennis player Stefan Milićević has been suspended for 24 years, meaning he will not be able to return to the court until 2050, came like a bolt from the blue! The sanction was imposed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which accused him of match-fixing.
Although he is not widely known to the public, Stefan Milićević has now found himself in the global spotlight. Unfortunately, it is not because of achievements and trophies like those of Novak Djokovic, but for the worst possible reason: misconduct in sport.
Milićević allegedly participated in fixing six matches between 2022 and 2024, including five matches in which he played himself. He was also accused of attempting to fix another six matches.
Serbian tennis player Stefan Milićević has been suspended for 24 years for significant breaches of tennis’ anti-corruption rules. https://t.co/km8TOOwU76 https://t.co/atmvzTbA80
— International Tennis Integrity Agency (@itia_tennis) October 15, 2026
In addition to the 24-year suspension, he will have to pay a $70,000 fine. He has also been banned from attending Grand Slam tournaments and any events organized by the International Tennis Federation, the ATP or the WTA.
The ITIA conducted an investigation in 2026, but Milićević did not participate or cooperate with investigators, despite the agency making seven separate attempts to obtain his response through various communication channels. After the investigation was completed, on September 24, 2026, Milićević was served with a notice informing him of a serious breach. The tennis player did not respond to the notice, so, in accordance with the ITIA’s rules and sanctioning guidelines, the 24-year ban from tennis and $70,000 fine came into effect on October 9, 2026. Stefan Milićević’s suspension will remain in force until October 8, 2050.
“During the period of his suspension, Milićević is prohibited from playing, coaching or attending any event organized or sanctioned by World Tennis, the WTA, the ATP, the Grand Slam tournament organizers or any national tennis association,” the ITIA statement said.
Who is Stefan Milićević?
Stefan Milićević is a Serbian tennis player who never broke into the upper ranks of world tennis during his career. He was born in Belgrade in 1997 and began playing tennis at the age of five at Olimp Tennis Club. His highest ATP ranking came in August 2014, when he was ranked No. 1,338.
According to his ATP profile, he earned $4,858 from tennis. The last match he played that was recorded at ATP Tour level took place in Kuršumlijska Banja on June 10, 2024. He lost in doubles alongside Dušan Obradović, 6–1, 6–2, against the Russian pairing of Savely Ivanov and Sava Polukhin.
He was a Serbian champion in the under-16 category and, as he explained in an interview at the time, when he won the Serbian title 13 years ago, he had the honor of meeting Novak Djokovic and the leading Serbian tennis players of that era.
During his junior career, Milićević won six Tennis Europe tournament titles and one ITF junior title while representing Serbia.
During his studies, he played for the University of Minnesota in the United States for four years, completing his college career in the 2019–20 season.
He finished his senior season ranked 54th nationally in singles in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.
In 2020, he was named to the Big Ten All-Conference First Team and also received the CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten honors, awarded for athletic and academic achievements.
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Source: Telegraf.rs, Foto: Printscreen Instagram @bluemellon
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