Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has fiercely condemned the wave of online abuse and death threats she received from enraged gamblers following her quarterfinal defeat to Naomi Osaka at the National Bank Open in Canada. The WTA veteran, ranked No. 13 in the world, was targeted with hateful messages, including wishes for her death and vile references to the ongoing war in her homeland. Many of the messages, which she shared on Instagram, also targeted her husband, French tennis player Gaël Monfils, with disturbing racial slurs. This incident has sparked renewed outrage within the tennis world over the increasing toxicity online players face, especially from gambling communities.
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Svitolina, a former world No. 3 and a mother, did not hold back in her criticism of those responsible, stating, “To all the bettors: I’m a mum before I’m an athlete… The way you talk to women – to mothers – is SHAMEFUL. If your mothers saw your messages, they’d be disgusted.” Among the messages she posted were comments such as “I hope you die today,” “Kill yourself,” and “I hope Russia kills all you Ukrainians.” The vitriol extended to Monfils, who was called a “useless monkey” and other racist insults. The abuse drew attention from fellow tennis pros, including Nick Kyrgios, who labeled the messages “Disgusting” in a post on X.
The incident reignites an ongoing conversation in professional tennis about the unchecked abuse directed at players by gamblers angry over lost bets. Earlier this year, British tennis player Katie Boulter also revealed receiving death threats during the French Open, with threats aimed at her and her family. She told the BBC that this sort of abuse has become normalized and believes it largely stems from bettors furious over match results. The WTA and the International Tennis Federation have both urged betting companies to take responsibility and curb the harmful behavior.
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Their plea aligns with a recent joint report released by the WTA and ITF, which revealed over 8,000 abusive messages directed at 458 players on social media in 2024 alone. A staggering 40% of those messages were traced back to “angry gamblers.” Despite her loss in Montreal to Osaka after strong wins over Rakhimova, Kalinskaya, and Anisimova, Svitolina remains a prominent force on tour and in the Race to the Finals, but her powerful stand against abuse may prove to be even more impactful than her on-court achievements.
