Tennis Pro takes aim at critics with provocative retort: "Why do you gamble on my success?"
German Tennis Player Tamara Korpatsch Responds to Online Abuse Amidst Betting Frustrations
Tamara Korpatsch, a German tennis player currently ranked 155th in the world, has spoken out against hate messages she received following her defeat in the round of 16 at the tournament in Warsaw. The match took place on Monday against Gao Xinyu, with the score being 6:7, 4:6 in favor of Gao Xinyu.
Korpatsch took to Instagram to address the negative comments, stating, "I don't give a shit what you say about me." She also wrote to a specific user, "It's better not to hope for the death of others, but to focus on your own shitty life." The responses were made in reaction to hate messages she received after her loss.
The study published by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) just a few weeks ago highlighted a significant relationship between sports betting and hate messages towards tennis players. The study identified more than 8,000 abusive social media posts targeting 458 players, with 40% of all abuse coming from gamblers, increasing to 77% in direct personal messages to players.
The WTA’s Threat Matrix service helped detect this abuse, showing a clear link between angry bettors and hostile messages, including violent and threatening content. The WTA and ITF have called for cooperation with betting operators to reduce this harassment, emphasizing that gambling-related abuse is a growing, intolerable problem, especially for younger players who are more vulnerable to harm.
Some betting companies like FanDuel have started to take action by threatening to ban users who engage in abusive behavior, highlighting the growing pressure on the gambling industry to address the source of this online abuse.
Korpatsch also directly addressed bettors, stating, "Stop betting on games and start working properly!" She questioned why these users would bet on her if they found her so terrible, asking, "If I'm so terrible, why the hell do you bet on me?" The hate messages were likely from users who had bet on Korpatsch's victory.
The tournament in which Korpatsch competed was held in Warsaw. The study published by the WTA revealed that "angry bettors" are responsible for 40 percent of hate comments directed at tennis stars, and this study was published just a few weeks ago. The extent of the relationship is substantial: many hate messages directed at tennis players, particularly female players, stem from gambling frustrations, with the WTA pushing for stronger measures linking betting behavior to online abuse prevention.
Tamara Korpatsch's response to online abuse underscores the issue of sports-betting related harassment in tennis. She indicated that some of the hate messages she received were likely from sports-betting enthusiasts who were disappointed with her defeat. Moreover, the recent study by the WTA and ITF highlighted that gambling-related abuse is a growing problem in tennis, with 'angry bettors' responsible for 40 percent of hate comments directed at tennis stars.
