Tennis’ growing relationship with gambling has once again exposed its dark underbelly, as a disturbing incident in Rosario highlighted the dangers players increasingly face on and off the court. What happened in Rosario was really awful!

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis player Nikolás Sánchez Izquierdo was targeted with threats from gamblers ahead of his match against Argentina’s Valerio Aboian. The situation escalated to the point where the match was delayed by nearly two hours and eventually played behind closed doors due to security concerns. Aboian went on to win the encounter 7-5, 6-4, but the result was overshadowed by the alarming circumstances surrounding the match. Messages of solidarity quickly followed for Sánchez Izquierdo and his team.

Born on March 17, 1999, Sánchez Izquierdo is a 26-year-old Spanish professional who reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 238 in September 2022, along with a doubles peak of No. 423 in June 2025. He made his ATP Tour debut as a qualifier at the 2024 Lyon Open, where he lost in the first round to sixth seed Tomás Martín Etcheverry. Like many players competing outside the sport’s top tier, he often performs under intense pressure with limited financial security – factors that make such incidents even more troubling.

Gambling on tennis, particularly in the United States, is still relatively new. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court repealed the federal ban on sports betting, allowing individual states to legalize wagering on sports, including tennis. Since then, tennis has emerged as one of the most popular sports for in-play betting, with an estimated 90% of bets placed while matches are ongoing. Markets such as match winner, set winner, and game winner dominate betting activity, especially on lower-level tours.

That popularity, however, has come with serious integrity concerns. Tennis has already been scarred by major betting-related scandals. One of the most infamous cases involved Grigor Sargsyan, who orchestrated an illegal gambling ring that recruited more than 180 professional tennis players – mostly at lower levels – to fix matches by deliberately losing games or sets. Though players earned only a few thousand dollars per fix, the scheme ran for years before being uncovered.

Officials have not been immune either. In the past, Slovenian umpire Marko Ducman was banned for 10 years and fined $75,000 after being found guilty of betting on matches and manipulating data while officiating ITF, ATP, and WTA events, in violation of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.

The human cost of tennis gambling is increasingly visible through online abuse. According to data from Signify, a company that works with tennis authorities using AI-based detection software called Threat Matrix, gamblers are responsible for a significant portion of abuse directed at players. So-called “angry gamblers” accounted for around 40% of all detected abuse over the past year, with messages clearly linked to lost bets.

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Responding to the issue, a spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council stated that its members “do not tolerate abuse on social media,” adding that swift action from social media platforms is essential to remove offensive content.

But despite longstanding ethical concerns, tennis’s relationship with gambling sponsors has continued to deepen. With betting moving almost entirely online and sponsorship revenues soaring, tournaments and governing bodies have become more open to partnerships—particularly at a time when players are pushing for higher prize money and a fairer share of commercial income.

The incident involving Sánchez Izquierdo is yet another reminder that while gambling fuels engagement and revenue in tennis, it also brings real dangers. For players competing far from the spotlight, the line between sport and exploitation is becoming increasingly fragile – and Rosario was a stark example of just how serious the problem has become.

What have been the reactions from tennis stars on this dark side of tennis?

As gambling becomes more deeply intertwined with professional tennis, players are increasingly speaking out about the abuse that follows – especially when bets are lost. What was once an unspoken issue has now become a major point of concern across the sport.

In August 2025, Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina revealed the extent of the hateful abuse she received online from frustrated gamblers after losing a match in Canada. Among the messages were ones wishing her death, highlighting how extreme and personal the attacks have become. Her comments added to a growing chorus of players calling attention to the psychological toll of gambling-fueled harassment.

Earlier in 2025, British No. 2 Katie Boulter shared her own disturbing experiences. During the French Open, Boulter received death threats not only targeting her but also her family. Speaking to the BBC, she said online abuse has become “the norm” for players and strongly suggested that many of the messages originate from people who have placed bets on matches. Following these revelations, both the WTA and ITF publicly urged betting companies to take stronger action to curb the abuse.

Those concerns were backed by data. A joint WTA–ITF report published in 2025 revealed that 458 players were directly targeted by online abuse last year. Using an AI-led detection system developed by the Signify Group, the report found that 40% of abusive messages came from frustrated gamblers, a figure that rose to 77% when looking specifically at direct abuse on players’ personal social media accounts. More than 8,000 abusive posts from over 4,200 accounts were identified, with a disproportionate number of messages aimed at a small group of female players.

By October 2025, more top players were openly sharing their stories. American star Jessica Pegula had already called out bettors earlier in the year after her French Open loss, writing on social media: ‘These bettors are insane and delusional… they always find a way to my timeline.” Later, Pegula and Madison Keys expanded on the issue during an episode of The Player’s Box Podcast, where they discussed how gambling culture has warped fan behavior.

Pegula was blunt about the situation. “I don’t think any of us really gamble,” she said, ‘but the people that gamble on our matches – we get to enjoy that fun part of being an athlete, I guess.” Keys then shared a particularly alarming story from the United Cup, where gamblers tracked down her Venmo account to send abusive messages and money requests after a loss. “I had a fake name because gamblers found me on Venmo, and they sent me abusive messages requesting money,” she revealed.

For Keys, this was nothing new. She recalled messages from gamblers during her difficult 2024 season that read, “I lost $5 on you, and it was my last $5. I hate you. I hope you die.” Her response summed up the surreal nature of the abuse: horrifying, yet absurd. Other stars have echoed similar frustrations. Iga Swiatek spoke out after being flooded with hateful messages following her China Open loss to Emma Navarro, calling it a “sad part of our reality in sports.” Soon after, Aryna Sabalenka confirmed she had received “terrible things” online as well.

Together, these reactions paint a bleak picture. What are your thoughts on this dark side of tennis?