Jessica Pegula Addresses Online Harassment in Sports
American tennis star Jessica Pegula has bravely shed light on the troubling online harassment that athletes endure, particularly spotlighting the vicious comments that arise post-match from disgruntled bettors. Pegula, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, recently competed at the French Open, where she reached the fourth round – a respectable performance following a challenging clay-court season preceding the tournament.
However, her journey ended unexpectedly when she faced the unfancied Lois Boisson, a wildcard entry ranked outside the top 300, who delivered a stunning upset before ultimately being defeated by Coco Gauff, Pegula’s former doubles partner.
Backlash Following Unexpected Defeat
Given Pegula’s significant accolades compared to her opponent, many fans and bettors anticipated her victory over Boisson, leading to considerable backlash when the match concluded differently. In response to her unexpected defeat, Pegula posted a series of shocking and disparaging messages that she received from online users, which laid bare the toxic culture surrounding sports betting.
Among the messages, one particularly cruel comment suggested she should abandon professional tennis to enjoy her family’s wealth.
“Just quit playing tennis and enjoy your father’s money. You are literally the most useless Top 10 player ever!”
some wrote, deriding her performance. Disturbingly, Pegula also shared that the vitriol continued even in the wake of her dog’s recent passing, with users choosing this sensitive moment to further their attacks.
One particularly insensitive remark read,
“Tucker wants to know why you can’t hit the ball straight,”
while another crude comment insinuated she had purposely lost the match, issuing a vile threat regarding her future child.
Reflection on Harassment in Tennis
Pegula reflected on the situation in her social media post, stating,
“These betters are insane and delusional… This stuff has never really bothered me much, but does any sport deal with this to our level? I’d love to know because it seems to be predominantly tennis? It’s so disturbing.”
She emphasized the prevalence of such harassment, explaining that it is an unfortunate commonality among players on tour.
Other players, like Caroline Garcia and Ons Jabeur, have also previously highlighted similar experiences with online abuse, creating a growing concern regarding the treatment of athletes on social media platforms. Mirra Andreeva, who also competed at the French Open, noted the intense atmosphere during her match but praised her experience as less hostile compared to her peers.
