ITIA Bans Croatian Tennis Player for 15 Winning Bets on Friend’s Match

^{Pictured: Tennis player Lauro Milanovic}

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has announced sanctions against two players for offenses related to match-fixing.

Uzbekistani player Rakhimbek Ibrakhimov has been banned for 21 months and fined $5,000 for refusing to cooperate with an investigation into two suspicious matches played in 2022.

Meanwhile, Croatian player Lauro Milanovic has received an eight-year ban and a $10,000 fine after placing 15 bets in 2018 on a match involving his friend — all of which were successful.

Milanovic also declined to cooperate with the investigation, despite repeated requests from ITIA officials.

During the suspension period, both players are prohibited from playing, coaching, or attending any tennis events organized by ITIA member organizations, including the ATP, WTA, ITF, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon, and USTA, or any national association.

This follows a wave of disciplinary actions by the ITIA. Just last month, four players — Thailand’s Natthasit Kunsuwan, France’s Jaimie Floyd Angele and Samuel Bensoussan, and former Brazilian-born Swedish player Christian Lindell — were banned for match-fixing offenses.