Elina Svitolina has spoken out after receiving death threats and hateful messages online following her loss at the Canadian Open.
The Ukrainian tennis star lost in straight sets to Naomi Osaka and later shared screenshots of abusive messages she and her husband, French player Gael Monfils, received.
Among the abuse were racial slurs, insults towards her family, and messages celebrating violence against Ukrainians.
“To all the bettors: I’m a mum before I’m an athlete. The way you speak to women — to mothers — is disgraceful.”
Svitolina is the latest tennis player to shine a light on the growing wave of online abuse fuelled by betting losses.
British No.1 Katie Boulter revealed earlier this year that she received threats targeting her family during the French Open — part of a wider trend flagged by the WTA and ITF.
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What do the stats say about the abuse?
A joint report from the governing bodies found over 8,000 abusive comments were directed at players in 2024 alone, with around 40% linked to gamblers who had lost bets.
Svitolina is not the only player to speak out. Her message adds to growing calls for stronger protections across tennis, with both the WTA and ITF pushing for action.
In response, the sport has introduced Threat Matrix, a monitoring system that tracks and reports online abuse in real time.
Serious cases are referred to police, and betting firms are being urged to suspend accounts of those found targeting players.
The issue is far from isolated. A 2024 report found over 8,000 abusive messages directed at 458 players — with 40% coming from angry gamblers.
Tennis leaders say gambling companies and social platforms must do more to shield athletes from harm.
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