Matteo Berrettini, the Italian tennis player, has called for improved protection for athletes against online abuse, particularly from gamblers, after his family received death threats during his recent participation in the French Open.
Speaking at the U.S. Open, Berrettini revealed that his brother received threatening text messages during the tournament in Paris. "Matteo is so rubbish that, if you don’t tell him to lose,’ or something like that, ‘we’ll kill your family,’ or, ‘we’ll do this,’" he recounted, describing the messages that were reported to the Association of Tennis Professionals.
Berrettini emphasized the potential distress such messages can cause, especially to younger players. "We’re tennis players, so it’s important to protect ourselves," he stated, advocating for more robust security measures within the sport.
Studies indicate that gamblers are frequently the source of online harassment directed at athletes. In March, Italian tennis player Lucrezia Stefanini also reported facing death threats from an individual believed to be a gambler before a match at the Indian Wells Open.
In 2023, the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), which organizes the U.S. Open, collaborated with other tennis organizations on an initiative utilizing an AI system called Threat Matrix. This system is designed to identify and flag abusive messages and threats aimed at players. The following year, approximately 12,000 posts were reported to social media platforms, and nearly three dozen accounts were flagged for law enforcement attention.
A report released in July by the Women’s Tennis Association and World Tennis indicated that a majority of the accounts identified for abuse in 2024 did not re-engage in such behavior in 2025, suggesting some effectiveness in current measures. However, the WTA and World Tennis stated in a joint release that further progress necessitates a collective effort involving social media companies, law enforcement, governing bodies, and the gambling industry.