'Hope You Get Cancer': British Tennis Player Received Death Threats During French Open

Last Updated:June 17, 2025, 14:14 IST

Katie Boulter revealed receiving death threats during the French Open, highlighting online abuse. Many threats come from gamblers. The ITF and WTA launched Threat Matrix.

Katie Boulter was on the receiving end of a harassment campaign. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

British tennis player Katie Boulter revealed to the BBC that she and her family received death threats during the French Open. She expressed concern about the normalisation of online abuse and its potential impact on younger players.

Boulter, a 28-year-old ranked No. 39 in the WTA, believes that many abusive messages come from individuals betting on tennis matches. During her first-round match against Carole Monnet on May 29, she received threatening messages targeting her loved ones. Despite losing the first-set tie-break, Boulter won the match 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-1.

However, the loss of the tie-breaker incited outrage.

One message read, “Hope you get cancer." Another threatened to damage her “grandmother’s grave if she’s not dead by tomorrow" and mentioned “candles and a coffin for your entire family." A third message stated, “Go to hell, I lost money my mother sent me."

Boulter shared screenshots of these messages with the BBC and expressed her concern about the impact of widespread abuse on younger players. Reflecting on her early career, she noted that such comments were hard to take. “It becomes more apparent every single time you go on your phone," she said. The abuse has not only increased in number but also in severity.

Other players have also reported similar experiences. To protect athletes, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), All England Lawn Tennis Club, and United States Tennis Association launched the Threat Matrix in 2023. This programme monitors public social media accounts for abusive and threatening content and provides support for players.

Data from Signify, the ITF, and WTA indicates that approximately 8,000 abusive, violent, or threatening messages were publicly sent to 458 tennis players on social media in 2024.

Boulter mentioned that she receives abuse after both wins and losses, often from disgruntled gamblers. “As far as death threats, it’s just not something you want to be reading straight after an emotional loss," she said. “A lot of the time you get it after you win as well."

Signify reports that 40% of detected abuse came from angry gamblers, with messages clearly related to betting activity. Boulter is preparing for an increase in abuse when she competes at Wimbledon, her home Grand Slam, starting June 30.

With AP inputs

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News sports 'Hope You Get Cancer': British Tennis Player Received Death Threats During French Open