Britain's Jodie Burrage has been offered extra WTA support after sharing abusive messages and death threats sent to her following a first-round exit in India.
The WTA has moved to protect Jodie Burrage after the British player revealed a flood of online abuse and death threats that landed in her Instagram inbox following a tough opening-round defeat at the Chennai Open.
Burrage lost 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to India's Vaishnavi Adkar in a grueling three-setter on Tuesday. It was the 27-year-old's first WTA Tour match since last summer, and the return to competition quickly turned sour once the final point was played.
She posted screenshots of the messages and added a pointed caption: "Nice welcome back to the tour. I remember why I left." The post spotlights a problem that continues to hang over professional tennis, where players are often targeted by angry bettors and anonymous trolls after losses.
The WTA says its staff in Chennai are offering Burrage direct support as she processes the fallout. The tour has not detailed what further steps may follow, but the response underlines the growing pressure on governing bodies and social platforms to shield athletes from this kind of harassment.
For Burrage, the story was supposed to be about a comeback and a hard-fought battle on court. Instead, it has become another reminder of the toll that online abuse takes on players trying to get back to work.
