British tennis player Jodie Burrage has shared abusive messages she received after losing her opening match at the Chennai Open to India’s Vaishnavi Adkar. The messages came from people who had bet on the match, according to Tennis365’s report.
Burrage posted images of the abuse on Instagram, writing: “Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left.”
The incident has drawn attention to a problem distinct from match-fixing: abuse directed at players by bettors. While suspected manipulation in lower-level tournaments remains a concern, gambling-related harassment has also become a significant issue for players, the report says.
Earlier this year, the WTA called for an end to abuse from people betting on tennis. It said that although the behaviour came from a relatively small number of accounts, its impact could be significant.
A report cited by the WTA and World Tennis found that gamblers were responsible for 48% of posts classified as abusive in 2024. In 2025, they accounted for 42% of verified abuse and 59% of serious-abuse cases. The organisations have called on social media platforms to verify the identities of people posting abusive messages.
The WTA and World Tennis said that further progress would require coordinated action by social media companies, law enforcement, sports governing bodies and the gambling industry.
Sources: Tennis365.