Young British tennis star Jodie Burrage has taken to social media to address the death threats and insults she has received following her latest defeat. The current world number 133 was defeated by Lucia Bronzetti at the Open BLS de Limoges with a score of 6-4, 6-4.
After losing the first set, the Brit found herself ahead 4-2 in the second, but she was unable to manage the lead and bring home more games. At the end of the match, Burrage published a screen with some of the free offenses received due to the defeat.
“You’re dead. You have to die,” but also: “You’re an amateur, you can’t beat Bronzetti. You were ahead 3-1 and 4-2 in the second set and lost 4-6. Tennis isn’t your sport, come back home cooking,” and: “Idiot and clown.”
These are just some of the comments visible on Instagram. A similar episode has happened in recent weeks to Benjamin Bonzi. The Frenchman said: “I don’t understand how human stupidity can go so far. I get ten, twenty, thirty, up to fifty messages after a game.
It also happens when I win, because maybe I made someone lose the bet. It all started during a Futures, I had won my first ATP points. I was 17, 18 years old.”
A problem that is spreading
Tennis is one of the sports that features the largest number of matches and tournaments throughout the season.
It is therefore no coincidence that bettors decide to invest time and money by betting on tennis and making their bets even when the major circuit is still. When you play events organized by the ITF and the Challenger Tour, it is not difficult to find people inside a tennis facility who spend their days with their mobile phones in hand betting on the match they are following on the sidelines.
Unfortunately, the numerous social messages that users send to the athletes depend on the outcome of the match and, therefore, of the bet. The number of tennis players who, after a defeat or a bad performance, are forced to suffer insults and threats on their accounts is growing more and more.
