Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina lashed out on Instagram to detail the online abuse she received — including death threats and those celebrating Russia killing her countrymen — from frustrated gamblers following a recent loss.
The 10th-seeded Svitolina dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to Naomi Osaka on Tuesday at the Canadian Open in Montreal.
Svitolina, 30, posted messages of threats she received and racial slurs aimed at her husband, fellow tennis star Gael Monfils, who is Black. She also included a message that said it hoped Russia “kills all you (expletive) Ukrainians” as a war continues in her home country.
“To all the bettors: I’m a mom before I’m an athlete,” Svitolina wrote on Instagram. “The way you talk to women — to mothers — is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your messages, they’d be disgusted.”
–Field Level Media
