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Jessica Pegula Confronts 'Insane and Delusional' Death Threats After French Open Loss

She released examples of harassing messages on Instagram, highlighting that bettors’ backlash has normalized life-threatening abuse in tennis.

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Overview

  • Pegula fell 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to wild card Lois Boisson in the French Open fourth round before the barrage of online hate began.
  • She shared screenshots of comments wishing harm to her and her family, including a message hoping her firstborn child would be stillborn.
  • The world No. 3 warned that tennis players face far harsher online abuse than athletes in other sports, driven by losing bets.
  • Pegula revealed that NHL alerts about threats have become routine for her, underscoring the normalization of violent messages.
  • A recent case involving death threats against Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. illustrates how sports-betting backlash is fueling abuse across athletics.