Elina Svitolina reveals she faced abuse from angry gamblers after Canadian Open loss

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New Delhi: World No. 13 Elina Svitolina said that she was flooded with online abuse after her loss to Naomi Osaka in the Canada Open quarter-final on Tuesday. The Ukranian lost straight sets 6-2 , 6-2 marking her fourth loss in Montreal.

She brought to light the abuse she faced, including death threats, calling out the ‘shameful’ behaviour of disgruntled gamblers. In her Instagram story she wrote a message and also attached the screenshots of the messages that included death threats. The 30-year-old wrote, “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 messages, they’d be disgusted.”

Some the messages shared by Svitolina referred to the ongoing war in her country following Russia’s invasion.

Betting abuse isn’t new and it’s hitting players hard

This isn’t the first time tennis players have opened up about online abuse tied to gambling. A study by tennis governing bodies revealed that nearly half of all social media abuse aimed at players last year came from angry bettors.

French player Caroline Garcia spoke about it after her U.S. Open loss, saying that “unhealthy betting” was one of the main reasons players get targeted. She pointed fingers at social media platforms too, accusing them of not doing enough to stop the hate. Garcia admitted it cuts even deeper after a tough defeat, especially when players are already feeling emotionally drained. She also raised a valid concern—how badly this kind of abuse could mess with younger players still finding their way.

Svitolina’s husband, Gael Monfils, also had his own run-in with frustrated gamblers. After an early exit in Stuttgart, the 38-year-old joked that he was shocked anyone was still betting on him to beat guys ten years younger. His response might’ve been funny, but the point was clear—players are tired of being punching bags for gamblers who lose money.