It has been clear for some time that tennis has a betting problem, but it is not a problem that has been given enough coverage in the world’s media.
We hear about the lengthy bans handed out to lowly ranked players who are guilty of match fixing, with betting on tennis at lower levels of the sport an issue that needs to be discussed with more urgency.
The prospect of match fixing in tournaments where prize money is minimal and players may be tempted by offers to manipulate matches needs to be stopped, as no one needs to bet on sport at what is essentially a development level.
It could be argued that betting on tennis at the top end of the sport widens the interest beyond the sport’s traditional ecosystem, but it has become a huge issue for players.
British star Jodie Burrage is the latest tennis player to reveal she has been the target of vile online abuse after she lost her opening match at the Chennai Open against India’s Vaishnavi Adkar.
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Angry punters who had a bet on the match targeted Burrage with online abuse and she was understandably upset by the messages and posted them on her Instagram account.
“Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left,” Burrage said in the accompanying message as she posted images of the messages coming her way.
Her statement comes after WTA Tour chiefs made a statement earlier this year calling for an end to abuse of players from those who bet on tennis matches.
“While it comes from a relatively small number of accounts, its impact can be significant,” said a WTA statement.
“It’s reassuring to know the WTA and World Tennis are taking this seriously, supporting players and making it clear that this kind of behaviour isn’t acceptable.
“The progress highlighted in this report demonstrates the value of working collaboratively across the sport and with our partners to identify abusive behaviour, support players and take meaningful action against those responsible.”
In 2024, a report from the same group found that angry gamblers were behind 48% of posts which were deemed to be abusive.
They were responsible for 42% of verified abuse in 2025 and 59% of cases of serious abuse, with WTA Tour and World Tennis chiefs calling for social media platforms to verify the identities of those posting abusive messages.
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“Insight from this report is crucial to helping us broaden our knowledge of the issue and take decisive action to protect victims of vile online abuse by punishing those responsible,” read a statement from World Tennis (formerly the ITF) and the WTA Tour.
“While the findings illustrate the effectiveness of that action to date, further significant progress requires collective action from social media companies, law enforcement, governing bodies and the gambling industry, and we will continue to proactively advocate for that.”
Burrage made a bold move to highlight the abuse coming her way and it can only be hoped social media platforms tackle those who are guilty of posting the vile messages by shutting down their accounts.
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