Suspension of Tennis Umpire in Bulgaria Due to Corruption Allegations

The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced today, Monday, that "Bulgarian umpire Stefan Milonov has been suspended for 16 years due to 17 violations of anti-corruption regulations." A separate anti-corruption committee has fined the umpire, who officiates at the local level, $75,000 for charges that include facilitating betting and delaying or manipulating the input of match data on the scoreboard during a tournament. Milonov, who was previously suspended for six months in December 2022 for offenses related to illegal betting, has not responded to these allegations. The International Tennis Integrity Agency stated, "After failing to respond to the agency's allegations regarding five matches he officiated in 2021, Milonov has effectively acknowledged his responsibility for all charges and thus faces penalties." It announced that "the suspension will last until midnight on December 27, 2039." The agency added, "During the suspension, Milonov is prohibited from officiating or attending any tennis events organized by the national federation or monitored by the International Tennis Integrity Agency."