British tennis star receives death threats after defeat

Jodie Burrage reached a career-high ranking of 85th in the world in September 2023 GETTY IMAGES

Jodie Burrage was subjected to death threats and online abuse after losing her first WTA Tour singles match in 16 months.

The 27-year-old Briton, ranked 474th in the world, exited in the first round of the Chennai Open when India’s Vaishnavi Adkar recovered from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

As reported by BBC Sport on Tuesday, Burrage later posted an Instagram story showing a stream of direct messages that included abuse and death threats.

She added the comment: “Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left.”

German player Eva Lys publicly supported her, tagging the WTA and asking: “When will something be done?”

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Burrage’s previous WTA main-draw singles appearance, outside of qualifying, was a first-round defeat at Wimbledon in July 2025.

The incident forms part of a larger problem. Female tennis players received more than 12,000 abusive social-media posts and messages last year, according to Signify Group data, with similar numbers recorded in 2025.

Angry gamblers were behind 42% of verified abuse and 59% of serious abuse cases that year.

Britain’s Katie Boulter has previously spoken about receiving death threats.

Players have called for identity verification on social-media platforms, while the WTA player board has described the abuse as unacceptable and potentially significant in its impact.

Gilbert Ekugbe is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over a decade of experience reporting on business and economic affairs. He covers markets, corporate developments, finance, and Nigeria’s broader economic landscape. His reporting is informed by extensive newsroom experience and a strong commitment to accuracy and responsible journalism, helping readers understand complex business issues.

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