ROME — Italian tennis player Lucrezia Stefanini reported that she and her family received threats via a text message that included an image of a firearm prior to her qualifying match for the Indian Wells tournament in California, which appears to be an attempt to influence the outcome for betting reasons.
Stefanini detailed the incident in a video shared on Instagram on Tuesday from the BNP Paribas Open.
“I received a WhatsApp message in which I was threatened regarding my victory in yesterday’s match. They threatened both me and my family, mentioning my parents, my birthplace, and included a photo of a gun,” Stefanini stated.
The 138th-ranked Stefanini lost 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva in the first round of qualifying for the WTA 1000 event, which is the highest tier in women’s tennis outside of the four Grand Slams and WTA Finals.
“I am creating this video to explain what occurred because I believe it is unacceptable to place me under such pressure and discomfort before a match,” Stefanini remarked. “I promptly informed the WTA, which enhanced my security. … The entire tournament took action to ensure my safety.
“Regardless of the situation, I fought until the end to try to win my match, as I cannot allow these individuals to intimidate me.”
Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, labeled the incident as “intolerable.”
“Sending images of weapons, possessing personal information, and intimidating an athlete represents a troubling escalation that is unrelated to sports,” Binaghi stated.
“Anyone who believes they can manipulate a match through fear … should understand that they have crossed into criminal territory,” Binaghi continued. “This type of conduct warrants an immediate legal response.”
Another Italian player, Mattia Bellucci, was also recently threatened through social media.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency regularly collaborates on investigations related to match-fixing in the sport, and both the WTA and International Tennis Federation reported that in 2024, they had identified 8,000 online posts and comments categorized as abusive, violent, or threatening.
Efforts are underway to utilize artificial intelligence to filter out threatening comments.
Binaghi proposed that in addition to “identifying and punishing those responsible,” there is a need for “a significantly strengthened international system” to ensure the safety of athletes.
Source: espn.com
