Elina Svitolina Sends Defiant Message To Bettors After Receiving Disgusting Abuse

Elina Svitolina highlighted the serious issue of online abuse and threats in tennis in a post that included a direct response to those spreading hatred.

Svitolina had a very good run to the 2025 Canadian Open quarterfinal. She did not drop a set in victories against Kamilla Rakhimova, Anna Kalinskaya, and the 2025 Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova.

Naomi Osaka brought that streak to an abrupt end. The four-time Grand Slam champion played a sublime match to thrash Svitolina 6-2, 6-2 before also beating Clara Tauson to reach a first WTA 1000 final.

Unfortunately, not everyone who watches tennis focuses on analyzing the quality of the match. If that were true, all fans would see that Osaka was simply too good and Svitolina would have struggled to win regardless of her level.

Some viewers spend their days betting on matches and become enraged when the player they backed loses. That sad reality was seen again in the post that Svitolina shared on social media.

The messages Svitolina received from bettors were utterly shocking. One account said they hoped the multiple-time Grand Slam semifinalist had died after the loss to Osaka, and threatened to be the person responsible for it.

Two of the messages used the war between Ukraine and Russia to abuse Svitolina. Russia launched an illegal invasion in February 2022, a conflict that remains ongoing after over three years of heroic resistance from the Ukrainians.

Svitolina has talked openly about the conflict's impact on her. She plays with an additional layer of motivation compared to most players as a symbol of hope for her fellow compatriots during such a challenging period.

Rather than quietly accepting the abuse, Svitolina chose to expose the accounts as imbeciles. The former world No. 3 told them their mothers would be sickened by their messages. Svitolina has a daughter with her husband, Gael Monfils.

Svitolina's response was sharp and to the point. Receiving such filth after suffering a heavy defeat must have been tough, and she may have refrained from giving an even angrier response to those responsible.

Although ATP players also receive abuse from bettors and their mental health should never be dismissed, evidence seems to suggest that top WTA stars get a pronounced level that they try to manage.

After losing at the 2025 French Open, Jessica Pegula shared the vile messages bettors sent, including comments about her dog that had recently passed away. The world No. 4 called for more to be done to tackle the issue.

Caroline Garcia, who is retiring from professional tennis this season, was another player to disclose the abuse she received. Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and Ons Jabeur are among the others to discuss social media hatred and learning to manage it.