Tennis Star Elina Svitolina Receives Death Threats from Disgruntled Gamblers

Elina Svitolina lost in the quarterfinals in Montreal

Elina Svitolina shares screenshots of abusive messages, including death threats, from disgruntled bettors after her Canadian Open defeat.

Elina Svitolina attributed the online abuse she received after her Canadian Open defeat to disgruntled bettors. The Ukrainian player suffered a 6-2, 6-2 quarter-final loss to Naomi Osaka and subsequently faced a barrage of “shameful” online abuse, including death threats targeting her and her family.

Tennis players, like many athletes, frequently face online abuse from gamblers, despite authorities' efforts to address the issue through measures such as blocking social media accounts. This problem persists, affecting players like Elina Svitolina, who have spoken out about the “shameful” behavior.

“The way you talk to women - to mothers - is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your messages, they'd be disgusted.”

Some of the abusive messages Svitolina shared referenced the ongoing war in her country following Russia's invasion.

Elina Svitolina showed the abusive & horrific messages she received from bettors after her loss to Naomi Osaka in Montreal.

Her response to them:

“To all the bettors: I'm a mom before I'm an athlete. The way you talk to women - to mothers - is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your… pic.twitter.com/nG7jA87Bw3

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 6, 2025

A study undertaken by some of the various governing bodies of tennis said that angry gamblers were responsible for nearly half of all the abuse that was directed at players on social media last year.

Caroline Garcia previously spoke out about the issue, stating that “unhealthy betting” is a major reason players face online abuse. She criticized social media platforms for not doing enough to filter out the abuse, noting it can be particularly damaging for players after tough losses when they're emotionally vulnerable. Garcia expressed concern about the impact on younger players.

Gael Monfils, Svitolina's husband, humorously responded to gamblers after an early loss in Stuttgart, joking about people still betting on him to win against younger opponents. The 38-year-old's lighthearted reaction contrasted with Svitolina's experience of receiving death threats and abuse from disgruntled bettors.