Three Tennis Players Suspended by ITIA: Russian for Non-Cooperation, Serbians for Match-Fixing Suspicions

Three Tennis Players Face Suspension

According to Главком: The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed the provisional suspension of three players: Russian Mark Kaufman, and Serbians Draginja Vukovic and Mila Masic. Kaufman was suspended for failing to cooperate with an investigation, while Vukovic and Masic are suspected of manipulating match outcomes. The ITIA is the sport's primary body for investigating and sanctioning breaches of its integrity code.

The suspensions are the result of sanctions initially imposed in December 2025. Mark Kaufman, 20 years old at the time of his suspension, achieved a career-high doubles ranking of 2023. His punishment was based on a charge of failing to comply fully with the requirements of an official ITIA investigation. In January 2026, Kaufman attempted to appeal the decision, but his appeal was definitively rejected in February 2026.

Outcome for Serbian Players

Regarding the Serbian players, Draginja Vukovic, who reached a career-high ranking of 527, did not challenge the sanctions. Mila Masic did file an appeal, but her petition was also dismissed by independent arbitrator Charles Hollander on February 19, 2026.

In a related case, Russian tennis player Gulnari Nazarovoy was handed a four-year suspension for attempting to arrange a match-fixing deal. These events highlight the ITIA's intensified efforts to uphold integrity in tennis and combat corruption in the sport.

The suspensions imposed on the three players underscore the seriousness of the ITIA's approach to enforcing ethics in sport. This reflects growing concern over match manipulation in tennis, which can undermine trust in competition results. The ITIA's stronger measures may also serve as a warning to other players about the critical importance of adhering to rules and norms in professional sports.