Tennis player Elina Svitolina faces hateful abuse after loss, blames 'shameful' bettors

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Tennis player Elina Svitolina faces hateful abuse after loss, blames 'shameful' bettors

2025-08-06 19:08 Last Updated At：19:40

MONTREAL, Canada (AP) — Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has spoken out about the deluge of hateful abuse she received online from frustrated gamblers after losing a match in Canada, including messages wishing her death and celebrating Russia killing her compatriots.

Following her straight-sets loss to Naomi Osaka in the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open on Tuesday night, Svitolina posted screenshots of the messages on Instagram.

The abuse was directed at her, while other racial slurs also targeted her husband, the French tennis player Gael Monfils, who is Black. One abuser hoped that Russia “kills all you (expletive) Ukrainians” in the war raging in Svitolina's country.

“To all the bettors: I’m a mum before I’m an athlete,” Svitolina wrote in her Instagram story. “The way you talk to women — to mothers — is SHAMEFUL. If your mothers saw your messages, they’d be disgusted.”

Earlier this year, British player Katie Boulter said she received death threats during the French Open targeting her and her family, while the WTA and ITF called on betting companies to do more to stem the flood of online abuse players face on social media.

Boulter told the BBC in an interview that online abuse has become the norm and that she thinks many of the messages are sent by people who are placing bets on tennis matches.

Her comments coincided with the WTA and ITF publishing a first season-wide report into online abuse, showing that 458 tennis players were targeted by more than 8,000 abusive comments and posts on social media in 2024. The report said 40% of the abuse came from “angry gamblers.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Wembanyama returns from injury scare to fuel Spurs past Bucks, 119-101

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama returned from a first-quarter injury scare to score 22 points and grab 10 rebounds and lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 119-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

Stephon Castle added 19 points and 10 assists and Julian Champagnie had 13 points and 11 rebounds for San Antonio. The Spurs led by 39 points early in the fourth quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points as Milwaukee suffered its third straight loss.

It was the Bucks' second straight lopsided loss after being booed at home during a 139-106 setback to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Wembanyama startled the sellout crowd at the Frost Bank Center and it had nothing to do with his freshly shaved scalp.

He returned to the court after making knee-to-knee contact with Antetokounmpo's left leg under the Bucks basket with 9:18 remaining in the first quarter. Wembanyama dropped to the court in pain before rising and hobbling unassisted in a half sprint toward the locker room.

The 7-foot-4 center from France suffered a hyperextended knee on Dec. 31 in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in a similar play. He returned to watch from the bench on New Year's Eve but missed the next two games.

Wembanyama returned to the bench at the close of the first quarter Thursday, but this time he went back on the court to start the second quarter.

Wembanyama had 11 points, six rebounds and a blocked shot while playing 12 minutes, 27 seconds in the second quarter.

San Antonio outscored Milwaukee 35-26 during the second quarter in taking a 66-53 lead at the half. The lead expanded to 37 points in the third quarter as both teams sat their starters to open the fourth.

Kyle Kuzma had 18 points and Bobby Portis added 13 points for the Bucks.

Bucks: At Atlanta on Monday night.

Spurs: Host Minnesota on Saturday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA