Elina Svitolina Tackles Online Abuse in Tennis

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina faces online abuse after her loss at the National Bank Open, with messages stemming from frustrated gamblers. Svitolina highlights the issue alongside her husband Gael Monfils. The broader problem is underscored by statistics from the WTA and ITF, with gamblers identified as frequent offenders.

Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina recently spoke out against the torrent of online abuse aimed at her following a recent match loss in Canada. Drawing attention to messages celebrating Russian violence against Ukrainians, Svitolina highlighted the distressing nature of such comments.

After her quarter-final defeat to Naomi Osaka at the National Bank Open, Svitolina took to Instagram to share screenshots of the abusive messages. These messages included racial attacks on her husband, French tennis player Gael Monfils, and vitriolic wishes for harm upon Ukrainians.

Amidst these disturbing instances, Svitolina reminded her critics that she is a mother, calling their behavior disgraceful. Her stance aligns with broader efforts by the WTA and ITF, who have documented widespread digital abuse in tennis, largely driven by disgruntled gamblers.

(With inputs from agencies.)