Briton Jodie Burrage faces death threats on WTA return
British tennis player Jodie Burrage received death threats and online abuse after suffering a first-round defeat at the Chennai Open.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- British tennis player Jodie Burrage faced online abuse and death threats following her tournament return
- She suffered a first-round defeat to India's Vaishnavi Adkar 3-6 6-3 7-5 at the Chennai Open
- This marked her first WTA Tour singles match proper in 16 months
- Signify Group data reveals female tennis players faced over 12,000 abusive messages last year
British tennis player Jodie Burrage faced severe online abuse and death threats following her return to the WTA Tour after a 16-month absence from singles main draws. The 27-year-old athlete suffered a first-round exit at the Chennai Open tournament in India, where local player Vaishnavi Adkar staged a comeback to triumph with a scoreline of 3-6, 6-3, and 7-5.
Ranked 474th in the world, Burrage later took to her personal Instagram account to share a story featuring a scrolling video of direct messages filled with hostile abuse sent to her after the match. The Londoner accompanied the post with a remark expressing her frustration over the toxic reception upon returning to competitive action.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
For Burrage, who currently holds the number 15 spot in British tennis, her last main-draw appearance on the WTA Tour outside of qualifiers took place in July 2025 when she lost to Catherine McNally in the opening round at Wimbledon. Her comeback in India was intended to restart her professional momentum, but it instead highlighted the ongoing crisis of cyberbullying targeting female athletes.
The issue of online harassment against female tennis players remains a widespread concern across the sport. Reports from the Signify Group, which utilizes artificial intelligence-driven detection technology, indicated that female tennis players were subjected to more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages last year, maintaining a similar volume to figures recorded in 2025 and 2024. Furthermore, data from the same group highlighted that frustrated gamblers accounted for 42% of verified abuse cases in 2025 and an alarming 59% of severe abuse instances.
"Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left"
Jodie Burrage
The alarming trend has prompted active players to speak out. Back in 2025, fellow Briton Katie Boulter revealed to BBC Sport that she had also received death threats through social media channels. In response to these recurring incidents, professional players have urged social media companies to implement mandatory identity verification protocols to curb targeted harassment and protect athletes from online vitriol.
The rise of online abuse directed at athletes following match losses underscores the dark side of modern sports betting and extreme fan behavior. When individuals cross the line into death threats and severe harassment, it inflicts immense psychological distress on competitors and can prematurely derail professional careers. The decision of prominent players like Jodie Burrage and Katie Boulter to publicly expose these messages plays a crucial role in demanding stronger accountability from social media platforms and sports governing bodies to ensure athlete safety.
Source: BBC Sport
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