Tennis Star Faces Death Threats After Match Loss

Jodie Burrage has received death threats and online abuse after losing her first WTA Tour singles match in 16 months.

The 27-year-old Brit, who is ranked 474th in the world, lost in the first round of the Chennai Open. India’s Vaishnavi Adkar came back from losing a set to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

According to BBC Sport on Tuesday, Burrage later shared an Instagram story. She showed a flood of direct messages filled with insults and threats.

She wrote: “Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left.”

German player Eva Lys came out to support her. She tagged the WTA and asked: “When will something be done?”

Burrage’s last main-draw singles match in the WTA, before this, was a first-round loss at Wimbledon in July 2025.

This situation is part of a bigger issue. Female tennis players got over 12,000 abusive social media posts and messages last year, based on data from Signify Group. Similar numbers were seen in 2025.

Angry gamblers were responsible for 42% of verified abuse and 59% of serious cases that year.

Katie Boulter from Britain has also talked about receiving death threats in the past.

Players have asked for identity checks on social media platforms. The WTA player board called the abuse unacceptable and said it could have serious effects.