Tennis players are increasingly becoming targets of shocking online threats, with several WTA and ATP stars exposing the sport’s darker side in recent months. Even today, the disturbing trend refuses to fade. After her defeat at Bad Homburg, local favourite Eva Lys has publicly revealed another horrifying incident, casting a harsh light on the growing abuse tennis players face.

Following her defeat against Emma Navarro in the opening round, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, Lys did not stay silent about the hate she received on her IG. A user going by the name Austin had been repeatedly messaging her. At first, some messages were simple: “I love you.”

However, his tone completely changed after yesterday’s defeat. The messages soon became abusive and disturbing. “You are f****g dog s**t,” he messaged. “Serving for the set and you have s**t in your pants. I hope you d*e.”

The 24-year-old did not take the comments lightly. The German shared screenshots of the messages on her IG story. Along with them, she added her own response. “Austin, we have to work on your moodswings.”

Things could have gone very differently for Lys. The former world No. 39 had her chances but failed to take them, while the American took control and comfortably secured one of the remaining spots in the last 16 of the German event.

And beyond the court, sadly, this is not the first time Lys has publicly exposed someone for sending her hateful messages online. 

After losing the China Open QF against Coco Gauff last year, she received another shocking message. One of them read: “I wish this w***e and her bigger w***e mother d*e the death of sw*nes. f***g match seller, you should bu*n in hell, s**t player. Your pathetic mother a we who had given birth to a w***e like you. I wish she d*ed in your arms really soon.”

This time, however, the German chose to respond publicly rather than stay quiet.

And unfortunately, tennis players facing such abuse are becoming almost normal as more players are speaking out, but the problem still refuses to go away.

When social media hate extends beyond tennis players to their families

Like Lys, it is not only limited to the WTA, as ATP players have also been dealing with hateful messages online for quite some time now. In many cases, the online abuse goes far beyond the players themselves. In recent times, their family members have also become targets, making the situation even more disturbing.

“I received these messages: ‘I’m going to carry your children in a coffin.’ I saw it right after the first match,” Jarry’s wife, Laura Urruticoechea, said in April this year. 

Even similar messages have been directed at other players and their loved ones as well. The 34-year-old Damir Džumhur’s brother, Zlatan Džumhur, received a shocking message online this year. “I don’t know what @damirdzumhur means to you, but I wish him and his entire family a d*ath in agonizing suffering,” the message read.

Even this month, the current WTA world No. 2, Elena Rybakina, added her voice to the growing conversation. She admitted that online abuse is impossible to ignore at this point.

27-year-old Hungarian ace Panna Udvardy was also among those who revealed she had received disturbing messages on her phone in Antalya this year.

The growing number of these incidents shows that online abuse is becoming one of the serious issues across professional tennis. And as the situation keeps getting worse, what do you think the WTA and ATP should do to prevent these types of hateful threats in the future? Share your thoughts below!