British tennis player Jodie Burrage receives death threats after Chennai Open loss
The 27-year-old player faced a torrent of social media abuse following her defeat to Vaishnavi Adkar on Tuesday.
British tennis player Jodie Burrage received death threats and social media abuse following her defeat to India's Vaishnavi Adkar at the Chennai Open on Tuesday, according to reports by Sportstar and The Indian Express.
Burrage lost the round of 32 match 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a contest lasting two hours and 47 minutes. This was her first main-draw singles match on the WTA Tour in 16 months.
The player shared a recording of abusive Instagram messages and wrote, “Nice, welcome back to the tour. I remember why I left.” Burrage suggested the messages might have come from gamblers, noting some users claimed she caused them to lose money.
During the match, Burrage's blood pressure and oxygen levels were checked as she struggled physically in the humid conditions. Following the loss, she said she had to avoid checking her phone due to the online harassment.
Burrage stated that connecting a person's identity to their account could increase accountability. German player Eva Lys tagged the WTA on Instagram, asking, “When will something be done?”
A report found that 458 players were direct targets of abuse in 2024. The WTA has previously described such abuse as unacceptable and noted its impact can be significant.