Elina Svitolina shared disturbing messages from angry bettors following her straight-sets defeat to Naomi Osaka in the Montreal tournament quarter-finals. The Ukrainian tennis player lost 2:6, 2:6 to her Japanese opponent in what turned out to be a one-sided match in Canada.
Svitolina exposed the harsh reality of modern sports by revealing Instagram direct messages where users wished death upon her and insulted her family after losing money betting on her match.
"To all those who place bets: I am first and foremost a mother, and only then an athlete. The way you address women, mothers - it's shameful. If your own mothers saw your messages, they would be disgusted," – Svitolina wrote in response.
The 29-year-old Ukrainian, who returned to professional tennis after giving birth to her daughter Skaï in October 2022, has been vocal about balancing motherhood with her athletic career.
This incident highlights the growing problem of online abuse directed at athletes from frustrated bettors. Players across various sports increasingly face harassment when results don't align with gambling expectations.
Worth noting that despite her early return to form after maternity leave, Svitolina still encounters occasional performance struggles like this decisive loss to Osaka. Will tournament organizers and social media platforms take stronger measures against such harassment? The tennis community certainly hopes so.
