British tennis player Jodie Burrage has revealed that she received death threats and abusive messages online following her return to WTA Tour singles action after a 16-month absence.
The 27-year-old, ranked 474th globally, suffered a first-round exit at the Chennai Open after India’s Vaishnavi Adkar fought back from a set down to claim a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.
According to BBC Sport on Tuesday, Burrage shared an Instagram story showing several abusive direct messages, including threats to her life, after the defeat.
Reacting to the messages, she wrote: “Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left.”
German tennis player Eva Lys expressed solidarity with Burrage, tagging the WTA in a public post and asking: “When will something be done?”
Burrage had not featured in a WTA main-draw singles match outside qualifying since losing in the opening round at Wimbledon in July 2025.
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Her experience has also drawn attention to the growing problem of online harassment targeting female tennis players.
Data from Signify Group showed that women in tennis received more than 12,000 abusive social media posts and messages last year, with a similar volume recorded in 2025.
The figures also indicated that frustrated gamblers were responsible for 42 per cent of verified abusive messages and 59 per cent of serious abuse cases during the year.
British player Katie Boulter has also previously disclosed receiving death threats.
Amid growing concerns, tennis players have urged social media companies to introduce identity verification measures to tackle online harassment.
The WTA player board has equally condemned the abuse, describing it as unacceptable and warning of its potentially serious impact on players.