Tennis has recently been rocked by a disturbing surge of bettors targeting players, igniting fierce debate across the sport. Just days after Lucrezia Stefanini revealed chilling threats sent to her on WhatsApp, another unsettling story has surfaced. This time, world No. 95 Panna Udvardy has exposed a horrifying encounter, leaving the tennis world stunned and demanding urgent action.

On Instagram, the Hungarian player beaten in the quarterfinals of the Antalya WTA 125 stated she received several very disturbing messages on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The situation escalated quickly.

She later added, “The person told me that if I didn’t lose my match today, they would harm members of my family. They said they knew where my family lives, what cars they drive, and that they had their phone numbers. They even sent photos of my family members and a picture of a gun. It was honestly very scary to receive something like this.”

Udvardy immediately reported the matter to the authorities in Turkey. She said she had already filed a police report. Officials quickly began taking the matter seriously. The 27-year-old also made her stance very clear.

“I want to say something clearly: this is not normal,” she added. “Even as athletes or public figures, it’s not acceptable to receive threats against our families, especially not on our private phone numbers and alongside disturbing images. We should not normalize abuse like this in sport. No player should have to deal with something like this.”

Authorities stepped in to ensure her safety. The Hungarian consulate in Turkey reportedly sent three police officers to watch over her quarterfinal match in Antalya. Police also provided protection for her parents and grandmother at their homes. Despite the tension, Udvardy still played her match. The second seed eventually lost 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine.

The incident came only days after another alarming case in tennis. Italian player Lucrezia Stefanini also revealed she received threats before a qualifying match for the Indian Wells Open. In her Instagram post, Stefanini explained the situation in her native language.

“I received a WhatsApp message in which I was threatened over winning yesterday’s match. They threatened my family and me and named my parents and the place where I was born, and they sent me a photo of a gun,” she added in Italian.

The incident sparked strong reactions within Italian tennis. Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, strongly condemned the threats. And perhaps, many believe such incidents highlight a growing problem in the sport.

Jessica Pegula slams bettors after revealing shocking death threats

Jessica Pegula once revealed the shocking abuse she received from online bettors. The American star shared the disturbing messages after her surprising exit at the French Open last year against Lois Boisson. Pegula decided to speak publicly about the harassment. She exposed several abusive messages sent to her on social media.

Pegula also explained how difficult it is to avoid the abuse. “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. This stuff has never really bothered me much, but do any other sports deal with this to our level? I’d love to know because it seems to be [predominantly] tennis?? It’s so disturbing.”

Before writing the statement, Pegula posted screenshots of several hateful messages. One message called her a “trash can.” Another person wrote, “Just quit playing tennis and enjoy your father’s money! You are literally the most useless top 10 player ever.”

Such incidents are not unique. In 2026, players such as Roman Burruchaga and Niko Sánchez Izquierdo also received death threats during the Rosario Challenger. What strong actions should the WTA take to prevent such situations, given the recent back-to-back threat incidents involving Stefanini and Udvardy that are drawing attention?