The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that tennis star Lauro Milanovic has been suspended for failing to cooperate with an investigation. He has been sanctioned for historic breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP), along with Uzbekistan player Rakhimbek Ibrakhimov.
Croatian player Milanovic has been hit with an eight-year suspension and fined £7,400 ($10,000) for failing to cooperate with an investigation into a number of alleged TACP breaches.
The 32-year-old allegedly placed 15 winning bets on a tennis match in 2018 which involved a player who he was closely associated with. He was therefore found to be in breach of section D.1.a (wagering) of the TACP.
The details of the betting were then investigated further by the ITIA in 2023, and they interviewed Milanovic on the matter last year to try and learn more about the case. The unranked player denied manipulating the results for his own betting gain.
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As a result, the ITIA looked to delve deeper and wanted to search Milanovic’s phone and run some checks to see if any further information on the matter arose, however, the player refused the request. He then rejected a number of requests to cooperate.
The ITIA have now responded by hitting Milanovic with the lengthy ban and fine, but the player has already confirmed that he will appeal the sanctions that have been imposed on him and take the case to an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer.
If Milanovic’s appeal is not successful, he will be suspended until May 29, 2033, subject to another appeal. During his unavailability, he will not be allowed to play or attend any tennis event or sanctioned by members of the ITIA, which includes the ATP, WTA, Tennis Australia and Wimbledon – among others.
The ITIA are insistent that they will ‘promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard’ professional tennis and therefore have handed out a number of sanctions in recent weeks, with bans varying in length and some players being forced to spend just a matter of weeks away from the court – as opposed to Milanovic’s hefty suspension.
Their site foreword reads: “We believe that the vast majority of tennis matches played across member events, and the players we all watch and enjoy, are true and honest. This does not mean we are naive to the threats posed by those who may seek to manipulate matches, or gain advantage through breaching the anti-doping rules. A sport that takes this seriously is a sport which can support elite development and performance, attract investment, increase its fanbase and ultimately, extend global participation.”