US EditionItalian Tennis Player Lucrezia Stefanini Says She and Her Family Were Threatened Before a Match
Stefanini received a threatening WhatsApp message targeting her family before the WTA 1000 qualifier; 8,000 abusive online posts were tracked by tennis authorities in 2024.
- In a Monday video, Stefanini said she received a WhatsApp message threatening her and her family, naming her parents and showing a photo of a gun.
- With threats rising, tennis bodies say Mattia Bellucci was recently threatened via social media, highlighting a wider problem.
- Stefanini said she immediately alerted the WTA, which provided extra security, and the tournament mobilized to ensure player safety.
- Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, called the episode intolerable and said `Whoever thinks they can condition a match through fear... should know that they have entered criminal territory`, urging legal authorities to act.
- Reports said the message was sent before her qualifying match at the Indian Wells tournament and appeared aimed at affecting the result for betting purposes.
15 Articles
15 Articles
"I received death threats" - Indian Wells in shock as WTA star goes public with anonymous messages that made her feel 'unsafe'
Lucrezia Stefanini, who recently bowed out in the qualifiers at the ongoing Indian Wells Open, has shared some rather distressing messages she received in the middle of the tournament.
Associated Press News
Italian tennis player Lucrezia Stefanini says she and her family were threatened before a match
Italian tennis player Lucrezia Stefanini says she and her family were threatened when she received a text message featuring a photo of a gun before a qualifying match in an apparent attempt to affect the result for betting purposes.
Stefanini receives death threats on WhatsApp before Indian Wells debut | Tennis Tonic - News, Predictions, H2H, Live Scores, stats
Lucrezia Stefanini, 27-year-old Italian tennis player ranked No. 138 in the world, revealed she received death threats on her private WhatsApp number ahead of her qualifying match at Indian Wells. On Instagram, she posted a video explaining what happened: “I am making this video to denounce what happened before the match. On my WhatsApp number I received death threats if I didn’t lose the match. They sent me the photo of a gun, wrote the names o…
Romania has three players present on the main table.
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