Five WTA players receive more than a quarter of all online abuse and threats, report says
Findings from the first season-wide analysis on the scale of online abuse directed at players reveals just how pervasive—and targeted—the issue is.
By
Stephanie Livaudais
Published Jun 18, 2025
Two weeks ago, world No. 3 Jessica Pegula took to Instagram Stories to share screenshots of the vile comments and messages she received after her shock loss to world No. 361 Lois Boisson at Roland Garros.
Pegula held “insane and delusional” sports bettors responsible for the torrent of abuse—which included everything from users calling her “the most useless top 10 player ever” to messages wishing injury and illness upon her and her loved ones—and wondered aloud: “This stuff has never really bothered me much but does any other sport deal with this to our level? I’d love to know…”
On Tuesday, the WTA and ITF confirmed what she and others suspected, publishing findings from the sport’s first-ever season-wide report analyzing abuse directed at tennis players on social media. They found that 40 percent of all targeted abuse came from “angry gamblers.”
Pegula is one of several players publicly speaking out about the issue, noting that many top stars can’t just “stay off social media” due to sponsorship and marketing obligations.
Great Britain’s Katie Boulter recently opened up about the mental toll of receiving threatening and abusive content, showing the BBC messages filled with violent threats and vulgar language following her second-round exit in Paris.
“It becomes more apparent every single time you go on your phone… I think it increases in number and it also increases in the level of things that people say,” Boulter said. “I don’t think there’s anything off the cards now.”
The report draws on data from Signify Group’s Threat Matrix service, which launched in January 2024 and analyzed 1.6 million posts and comments across 40 languages through December. Using a combination of human and AI analysts, the group verified that around 8,000 posts and comments from 4,200 accounts were abusive, violent or
For the worst offenders, real-world consequences have followed. Details of offending accounts are shared with event security teams at Tour events and Grand Slams, resulting in venue bans and ticket purchase restrictions.
In 15 of the most serious cases, matters were escalated to law enforcement—three involved the FBI, while 12 others were handled by national authorities.
The findings have sparked calls for stronger safeguards, including enhanced content moderation tools, identity verification on social platforms and “a constructive dialogue” with the gambling industry.
“Everyone—betting operators, social media platforms, governing bodies, players and law enforcers—has a responsibility to make the online space a safer and more positive one,” a WTA and ITF spokesperson said.
The report highlights not only the widespread nature of online abuse, but how intensely it is concentrated for women's tennis players: 97 accounts were responsible for 23% of all abusive messages sent to over 450 targeted players. Just as alarming: five WTA players alone received more than a quarter (26%) of all abuse tracked.
High-profile cases have kept the issue in the spotlight. Britain's top player Emma Raducanu and former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek have both faced escalating threats that moved from online spaces into real-world encounters.
Raducanu, who received a five-year restraining order in 2022 against a stalker who came to her home three times, has suffered further incidents in 2025. In February, a man displaying “fixated behavior” was ejected from the WTA Dubai Championships and detained by police. He had reportedly followed Raducanu across four successive tournaments and approached her in a public space, leaving her visibly distressed after spotting him in the stands during her match.
That same individual, despite having signed a pledge to “maintain distance” from Raducanu, attempted to obtain Wimbledon tickets—but was blocked when his name was flagged by the All England Club’s security system, according to British media reports on Tuesday.
When Swiatek was verbally attacked by an “aggressive and taunting” fan at the Miami Open in March, it was another example of what her team called “a direct transition from verbal aggression online to harassment in the real world.” The man, who had previously sent abusive messages to Swiatek through social media, showed up in person to practice session and shouted personal insults about the player and her family.
Swiatek, 24, was immediately given extra security.
“Player safety is our top priority,” the WTA said at the time. “The WTA works closely with tournaments and their security teams on best practices for international sporting events to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.
“There are comprehensive security protocols in place to make sure that any incidents are handled promptly and effectively. The details of these are not something we discuss publicly, but we are steadfast in our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for players and everyone attending one of our events.”
As online threats increasingly evolve into real-world dangers, the Threat Matrix is expanding. It now includes support for direct abuse received via DMs, emails and letters, and a new real-time social moderation service protecting the WTA and ITF’s official social accounts is set to roll out in the coming weeks—available to all tour players upon request.
Still, the question remains: will it be enough?
Pegula, also a member of the WTA Players’ Council, is skeptical.
“I welcome the work that the WTA and ITF are doing with Threat Matrix to identify and take action against the abusers, whose behavior is so often linked to gambling. But it’s not enough on its own,” Pegula said in a statement.
“It’s time for the gambling industry and social media companies to tackle the problem at its source and act to protect everyone facing these threats.”
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