Elina Svitolina Confronts Online Abuse
In Montreal, renowned Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has bravely confronted the wave of vitriol she received online following her defeat to Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open. After her loss, a barrage of hateful messages flooded in, including threats and comments that celebrated the ongoing war in her home country, Ukraine, and the suffering of her fellow Ukrainians.
Highlighting Distressing Messages
Svitolina decided to share some of these distressing messages on her Instagram story, highlighting the shocking nature of the abuse. The vitriol was not confined to her alone; her husband, Gael Monfils, a French tennis player of Black descent, was also subjected to racial slurs in these attacks. One particularly chilling message expressed a wish for Russia to “kill all you (expletive) Ukrainians.”
A Heartfelt Response
In a heartfelt response to the online harassment, Svitolina stated, “To all the bettors: I’m a mum before I’m an athlete. The way you talk to women – to mothers – is SHAMEFUL.”
She emphasized that such messages would appall any mother receiving them.
Wider Issue of Online Harassment
This incident is not isolated. Just earlier this year, British tennis player Katie Boulter revealed that she, too, faced death threats during the French Open, affecting not only herself but also her family. Both the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have voiced their concerns, urging betting companies to take greater action against the overwhelming tide of online abuse suffered by athletes.
Boulter remarked in a BBC interview that receiving such online harassment has regrettably become commonplace, particularly from individuals who are placing bets on match outcomes.
Coinciding with these alarming developments, the WTA and ITF released a report indicating that 458 tennis players experienced over 8,000 instances of abusive commentary on social media in 2024 alone, with approximately 40% of the abuse traced back to irate gamblers.
