Matteo Berrettini isn’t holding back, and what he just revealed is flat-out terrifying for anyone who loves tennis. The Italian star just called on organizers to step up, saying his family received death threats from gamblers during his French Open run. Yeah, you read that right: *death threats*. He made this urgent plea after his first-round win at the U.S. Open, pushing tennis to better protect players against this online abuse.
The Texts That No Athlete's Family Should Ever Get
This isn’t some generic online hate, either. Berrettini detailed the exact kind of disgusting messages his brother got at Roland-Garros, which he reported to the Association of Tennis Professionals. He said the texts threatened, “‘Matteo is so rubbish that, if you don’t tell him to lose,’ or something like that, ‘we’ll kill your family,’ or, ‘we’ll do this.’” Seriously, that’s what we’re dealing with? He pointed out that while pros are adults, these messages could be absolutely frightening for younger players and the girls just starting out. It’s a stark reminder that this “sport” part of sports sometimes gets lost in the ugly side of gambling.
More Than One Star Facing This Horror Show
It’s not just Matteo getting this garbage, either. Multiple studies have shown gamblers are the ones mostly responsible for this kind of online abuse hurled at players. Back in March, another Italian women’s tennis star, Lucrezia Stefanini, went through a similar nightmare, with death threats aimed at her and her family before a qualifying match at the Indian Wells Open. Berrettini is right, the tennis community needs “stronger” safeguards. This isn’t just about winning or losing anymore, it’s about basic human decency and safety.
Are We Doing Enough to Stop This?
So, what’s being done? And is it enough? In 2023, the USTA, who run the U.S. Open, partnered with World Tennis and other big organizations on an initiative using an AI system called Threat Matrix to flag abuse. The next year, they announced that roughly 12,000 posts got reported to social media platforms, and nearly three dozen accounts were even flagged to law enforcement. That’s a start, for sure. A separate report found that a majority of the accounts flagged in 2024 didn’t reappear in 2025, which is good news. But clearly, as Berrettini’s story shows, it’s not solved. The WTA and World Tennis have said that “further significant progress requires collective action from social media companies, law enforcement, governing bodies and the gambling industry.” They’re not wrong.
This isn’t just about one player, it’s about the entire sport’s integrity and safety. What’s next for tennis organizers and social media giants? The ball is in their court to make sure no more families get these horrific threats.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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