Tennis players Iga Świątek and Madison Keys openly discuss the topic of sports betting in their interview at the Masters tournament in Indian Wells.

Tennis stars discuss sports betting impact on the sport

By Timm Schaffner, Edited by Angela Burke

Published on: 07.03.2025. Updated on: 30.04.2025.

Iga Świątek (POL) and Madison Keys (USA) offered their perspectives on the influence of sports betting on tennis before their matches at the prestigious Masters tournament in Indian Wells. While Świątek expressed concerns about the negative effects on players, Keys focused on the financial importance of the betting industry for the sport.

Świątek reports on hate messages

Polish tennis ace, Iga Świątek, has raised concerns about the increasing influence of sports betting and its impact on players, as reported by the British online newspaper, Express. She noted a rise in hate messages on social media from disappointed bettors who have lost money on matches and directly targeted players. Experts like Judy Murray, mother of British tennis players Andy Murray and Jamie Murray, have previously acknowledged this issue.

Świątek called for more protective measures for players and suggested that tournaments could use AI to filter and block offensive messages before they reach players. However, she emphasized the need for further improvements, especially in assisting young players to cope with this kind of pressure.

Madison Keys highlights financial benefits

Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, presented a different perspective. Although there are risks associated with the betting industry, she emphasized the economic benefits the sport of tennis enjoys from sports betting. Keys believes that money from sponsors in the betting industry (often coming back to tennis professionals through prize money) enables many to practice their sport profitably.

Betting poses a problem in amateur sports

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) works to uncover cases of betting fraud and match-fixing in tennis. However, significant problems still linger, particularly in amateur sports. One of the biggest betting scandals involved a betting syndicate around Armenian Grigor Sargsyan, who coerced hundreds of players to engage in match-fixing. Even years after the network was exposed, connections are still being uncovered, and players are still being sanctioned.

This shows that betting seems to pose a particularly high risk in the amateur sector. While top professionals earn enough money and face mainly hate messages, desperate lower-level players who are lured into match-fixing are often doing so to secure their personal existence.

Świątek softens her stance slightly

In the interview, Świątek slightly softened her statements and admitted that she had "no deep understanding of the betting industry." She explained that she was merely sharing her and other players' experiences after matches. However, she acknowledged that hate messages on social media were already widespread, regardless of sports betting or any other trigger.

Keys advocated finding "a middle ground." While acknowledging the economic significance of the sports betting industry, she encouraged taking steps to prevent players from becoming targets of frustrated sports bettors and their hate messages.

Enrichment Insights:

To protect players, enhancing monitoring of irregular betting patterns, providing mental health resources, and offering legal avenues to report abuse are crucial.
Reducing public exposure of player contact details and deploying AI-driven tools to detect and block abusive content can help minimize targeted harassment.
Educating players on recognizing manipulation tactics and reporting approaches from corrupt entities is essential.
Collaborative regulatory measures, awareness campaigns, and penalties for hate speech tied to gambling outcomes can help combat aggressive fan behavior.
To prevent impulsive behavior among bettors, betting operators can promote tools like self-exclusion, deposit limits, and reality checks.
Transparency in odds can help reduce overhyped narratives that increase unrealistic expectations, potentially moderating aggressive behavior toward players.
Differences in gambling regulations across countries complicate uniform player protections. Momentum-driven betting also heightens scrutiny on players, increasing pressure and abuse risks.
Stricter integrity protocols, mental health resources, and collaborative regulatory measures can better protect players from betting-related harms while preserving the sport’s credibility.

Iga Świątek, despite acknowledging her lack of understanding about the betting industry, still shared her concerns about the increasing influence of sports betting on tennis players and the rise in hate messages from disappointed bettors.
Madison Keys, on the contrary, highlighted the financial benefits that tennis enjoys from sports betting, stating that money from sponsors in the betting industry is essential for many to practice their sport profitably.
The problem of betting fraud and match-fixing is particularly prevalent in amateur sports, as demonstrated by the Armenian betting syndicate case involving Grigor Sargsyan.
In response to Świątek's calls for protective measures, Keys suggested finding a middle ground, emphasizing the need to prevent players from becoming targets of hate messages from frustrated sports bettors.
Potential solutions to protect players include enhancing monitoring of irregular betting patterns, providing mental health resources, deploying AI-driven tools to detect and block abusive content, and offering legal avenues to report abuse.