Pegula fires back at vile threats she received after losing to Boisson at Roland Garros

Jessica Pegula’s fourth-round exit at Roland Garros had a bittersweet aftertaste – joy for Lois Boisson’s surprise victory, and a darker reality in the abuse Pegula faced afterward.

The French world No 361 stunned the tournament’s No 3 seed, but it wasn’t just the result that shocked the tennis world. The American star found herself at the center of a disturbing pattern in the sport: the flood of vile messages sent by gamblers after a player’s defeat.

Threats and abuse towards U.S. tennis star

Pegula took to Instagram to call out the harassment, posting a series of Instagram Stories titled “thread of the tennis gambling psychos – viewer discretion advised.” The messages she received included: “You threw it away,” “Go to hell with Israel,” “You should retire and enjoy your parents’ money – you’re the worst Top 10 player ever,” and “Top 10 my ass.” Others went much further: “You sold this match. I hope karma gets you and your first child is stillborn,” “You will die,” and “Tucker [her dog who died recently] wants to know why you can’t hit a ball properly.”

Although Pegula generally avoids posting during tournaments to minimize exposure to abuse, she expressed frustration that these gamblers always seem to find a way in. “These [bettors] are insane and delusional. And I don’t allow dms and try to remember when to shut my comments off during tournament weeks but they always find a way to my timeline,” she wrote. “This stuff has never really bothered me much but does any other sport deal with this to our level? I’d love to know because it seems to be [predominantly] tennis?? It’s so disturbing.”

She went on: “Every person on tour deals with it. It’s so bad. Those are just really small snippets. I get told my family should get cancer and die from people on here on a regular basis. Absolutely crazy.”

Is tennis abuse worse than other sports?

Pegula added that players in the NHL have reached out to share examples of the abuse they face – but it doesn’t come close. “I’ve seen stories of comments/threats/stalking making headlines in other sports… well news flash I can guarantee it’s 100 times worse. These comments are nonstop for us. Win or lose – it’s whatever they bet on. I’ve seen NHL players get upset about a threat and send it to me, and my response was ‘oh that’s it? I get those all the time’ that is so messed up that that is my response. Normalizing death threats!”

For this reason, Pegula is calling for more protection on social media for tennis players. “I’m proud that this hasn’t affected me emotionally (you can’t reason with crazy people), but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect others,” she said.

“When fans see us as tough and resilient athletes, they probably don’t realize we’re getting messages hoping our kids are stillborn or our families die. And please don’t say ‘just stay off social media’ – that’s not an option. Our whole careers and sponsorships depend on it.” She concluded by saying she’s disabled both comments and DMs.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.