Svitolina Blames Bettors for Online Abuse in Montreal Loss

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has publicly condemned the hateful and abusive messages she received from frustrated bettors following her loss to Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open in Montreal. The abuse included racial slurs directed at her husband, French player Gael Monfils, and threats connected to the ongoing war in Ukraine, with some messages wishing harm on her and celebrating violence against Ukrainians. Svitolina emphasized her identity as a mother before an athlete, calling the behavior of the bettors shameful and unacceptable. This incident highlights a broader issue in women's tennis, as a 2024 report by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) found that 40% of all detected online abuse comes from angry gamblers, with thousands of abusive messages sent to players throughout the season. Other players, such as Britain's Katie Boulter, have reported similar abuse, including death threats, reflecting a widespread problem linked to the rise of sports betting and social media access to athletes. Both the WTA and ITF have called on the gambling industry to take action to reduce the scale of abuse targeted at tennis players.