The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) want betting companies to crack down on gambling-driven abuse of players.
According to a joint report released by the pair, tennis players received abuse so threatening over the course of the 2024 season that 15 cases were escalated to law enforcement agencies.
Of those cases, four took place at Grand Slams, one was at the Olympics and the remaining ten were across tour events. Three went as far as the FBI, leading to individuals receiving venue bans and having tickets rescinded.
The tennis chiefs want online casinos to take the necessary steps to combat the issue which has led to top players such as British No 2 Katie Boulter speaking out.
40% Of Abusive Messages Sent To Tennis Players Came From Angry Gamblers
There were over 8,000 abusive messages sent to tennis players on social media in 2024 and data from Signify Group using their Threat Matrix technology revealed 40% originated from furious gamblers.
Threat Matrix monitors public-facing social accounts for abusive and threatening content on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok while also providing support for players who are targets via private direct messaging.
1.6 million posts and comments were analysed between January and December 2024 with 0.5% defined as abusive, violent or threatening. 458 players were earmarked with a select five receiving 26% of all posts classified as abusive.
A spokesperson for the WTA and ITF said: “Given the clear evidence highlighted by Threat Matrix on the link between angry gamblers and prolific online abuse and threat, we are calling for a constructive dialogue with the gambling industry to help tackle this issue.
“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. We hope the gambling industry responds constructively to our call for more action on their part.”
Jessica Pegula, Caroline Garcia and Katie Boulter Among Players To Voice Concerns
When British No 2 Katie Boulter lost a tie-break at the French Open – a match she would later go on to win – she received abusive messages wishing cancer on her and threatening to kill her entire family.
After a shock fourth-round defeat at the same tournament, World No 2 Jessica Pegula said “bettors are insane and delusional” upon being the target of abuse on social media.
Former World No 4 Carolina Garcia wrote on Instagram last August after exiting the U.S. Open that “unhealthy betting” accounts for most of the abuse and couldn’t stress how damaging it was to players who were already “emotionally destroyed” following a defeat.
The ITF, WTA and its men’s counterpart the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) share match data with providers linked to sports betting apps and revenue generated from those agreements goes toward funding the tours.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
