‘I don’t fear for my safety from online abuse – because we’re so used to it’

Jodie Burrage says online abuse aimed at tennis players has become so routine that she does not fear for her safety, despite receiving threats after a defeat. She shared screenshots to draw attention to the abuse and says it can add to the pressures of an already demanding tour.

The 27-year-old lost 3-6 6-3 7-5 to Indian wildcard Vaishnavi Adkar in Chennai, her first WTA Tour singles match for 16 months. A 2025 WTA and World Tennis report found angry gamblers were responsible for 42% of verified online abuse detected that season. Players can use the Threat Matrix service to monitor abuse and alert social media platforms or, where necessary, law enforcement; Burrage argues platforms should require account identification to increase accountability.