Jodie Burrage receives death threats after Chennai Open return
- Jodie Burrage returned to WTA singles competition after a 16-month absence at the Chennai Open.
- She lost to Vaishnavi Adkar 3-6 6-3 7-5 in a match lasting two hours and 47 minutes.
- Burrage shared screenshots of death threats and abusive messages on her Instagram story.
- Players and reports attribute significant online abuse to gamblers who lost money on matches.
- The WTA player board condemned the abuse as unacceptable and noted its significant impact.
Jodie Burrage, a 27-year-old British tennis player ranked 474th, faced death threats and online abuse following her first Women’s Tennis Association Tour singles match in 16 months at the Chennai Open. Burrage lost to India’s Vaishnavi Adkar 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 on November 3, 2026.
After the defeat, Burrage shared screenshots of the abusive direct messages on her Instagram story. She included the caption, "Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left".
Physical struggle during two-hour match
Burrage faced significant physical challenges during the two-hour and 47-minute match. She struggled with humid conditions and required medical attention, including measurements of her blood pressure and oxygen levels.
The player received ice treatment on her arms and legs before she resumed play.
WTA player board and peers condemn abuse
German player Eva Lys tagged the WTA in an Instagram post this week, asking, "When will something be done?". The WTA player board condemned the abuse as "unacceptable" and stated it has a significant impact on players.
Sky Sports News contacted the WTA for comment regarding the incident. There is no response yet from the WTA or social media platforms.
Gamblers identified as primary source of harassment
British player Katie Boulter blamed gamblers who lost money for the abuse directed at Burrage. Boulter reported receiving death threats last year and expressed concerns for her safety.
Burrage and Boulter both attribute much of the harassment to gamblers who lost money on matches. Burrage said some messages blamed her for money they lost, while she called the abusers "very bad people".
Data shows 40 percent of all social media abuse stems from frustrated gamblers. For abuse sent directly to a player's personal account, the share rises to 77 percent.
Burrage advocates for social media accountability
Burrage struggled with her return to the WTA Tour, having played her last main-draw match in July 2025 against a player whose name begins with C. Following a first-round loss to Caty McNally at Wimbledon, she reported that she avoids looking at her phone because of abuse.
In July, Burrage called on gambling and social-media firms to intensify their efforts against online trolls. She proposed a solution of linking each social-media account to a real person's ID to make users more accountable.
Scope of abuse against female tennis players
A joint report by the WTA and ITF, which employed an AI-driven detection system from the Signify Group, identified 458 players as direct victims of abuse in 2024.
Reporting timeline of the incident
Sky Sports reported on 3 November 2026 that Burrage faced death threats and online abuse after her first-round loss at the Chennai Open. BBC Sport reported the defeat and the ensuing abuse on 3 November 2026. A Facebook post on 4 November 2026 announced that the British tennis star received death threats after her defeat.
- Death threats for Briton Burrage on WTA Tour return - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
- Jodie Burrage: British player receives death threats and abuse on social media after Chennai Open first-round defeat | Tennis News | Sky Sports (skysports.com)
- Jodie Burrage: British tennis player receives death threats and social media abuse after defeat - BBC Sport (bbc.com)
- Jodie Burrage Faces Social Media Abuse After Chennai Open (askthedutchguy.com)
- British tennis star receives death threats after defeat (facebook.com)
- Burrage (linkedin.com)
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