Death threats for Briton Burrage on WTA Tour return

Jodie Burrage received death threats and other abuse online after losing her first WTA Tour singles match proper in 16 months. The messages prompted fellow player Eva Lys to call on the WTA to act, renewing attention to the abuse female tennis players face.

Burrage, 27 and ranked 474th, lost 3-6 6-3 7-5 to India’s Vaishnavi Adkar in the first round of the Chennai Open. Her previous Tour singles match outside qualifying was at Wimbledon in July 2025; she had reached a career-high ranking of 85th in September 2023. A report found female players received more than 12,000 abusive social media posts and messages in 2025, with angry gamblers responsible for 42% of verified abuse and 59% of serious abuse.