British tennis star receives death threats after defeat

British tennis player Jodie Burrage faced death threats and online abuse following her first WTA Tour singles loss in 16 months. The 27-year-old, currently ranked 474th in the world, was defeated in the first round of the Chennai Open by India’s Vaishnavi Adkar. After the match, Burrage shared an Instagram story detailing a barrage of direct messages containing abuse and death threats.

She expressed her frustration, stating, "Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left." In response, German player Eva Lys publicly supported Burrage, tagging the WTA and asking when action would be taken. Burrage's last WTA main-draw singles appearance was a first-round defeat at Wimbledon in July 2025. This incident is part of a broader issue, with female tennis players receiving over 12,000 abusive social-media posts and messages last year, according to Signify Group data.

Angry gamblers were responsible for 42% of verified abuse and 59% of serious abuse cases. Players have called for identity verification on social-media platforms, and the WTA player board described the abuse as unacceptable and potentially significant in its impact.