Casper Ruud Slams ‘Shameless’ Bettors Over Abusive Messages Following Defeats
Casper Ruud is currently competing at the Stockholm Open, where he's in the quarter-finals.
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Casper Ruud (via X/The Tennis Letter)
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The ATP and WTA have found it hard to curb the issue of online and message abuse from angry gamblers to players. Tennis tournaments are played all around the world and almost throughout the year, which makes it popular for regular gamblers to bet on. ATP star Casper Ruud believes that the betting industry is the dark side of the sport.
Recently, data from Signify Group’s Threat Matrix service found that from January to December 2024, about 8,000 abusive, violent, or threatening messages were directed at 458 tennis players via social media. The likes of Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek have revealed messages from bettors threatening them on social media.
Players usually get abusive messages from gamblers after losing a match, which they were favorites to win, though some bettors bet on less-favored players to win a match to get more money. A few weeks ago, Eva Lys became a victim of a bettor’s abusive messages on social media hours after her loss at the China Open.
The German star had reached her first WTA 1000 quarter-finals in Beijing before facing the 2024 champion Coco Gauff. She lost to the American star in straight sets, crashing out of the tournament. It was supposed to be a celebration for Lys after her good run at the tournament, but the message from a gambler made her sad.
The issue has become a grave concern to many players on tour, which has forced them to avoid social media. Ruud, who’s currently competing at the ATP 250 tournament in Stockholm, was asked about gamblers’ abusive messages to players on tour. The World No.12 who tries not to read messages from bettors after a match loss, stated:
Unfortunately, it has become a common thing for athletes due to bettors who have no filter and no shame about what they are writing. It’s the dark side of that world. I try not to read it and not get affected by it. I like to think that they’re overreacting and throwing out crazy stuff because they’re angry that we didn’t do well for their bets. It’s just sad overall.
Despite the complaint from players, betting companies are now investing more in professional tennis. Currently, the Madrid Open, the Miami Open, and the Swedish Open are sponsored by South Africa Betway. In fact, in recent years the WTA and ATP have signed many deals with betting companies.
Casper Ruud looks forward to a final push for a place in the ATP Finals in Turin
Casper Ruud is far from being a contender for a place in the ATP Finals this season. He’s currently ranked World No.12 in the ATP rankings. He failed to defend most of his points during the clay-court season, a period during which he thrives. The Madrid Open champion didn’t defend his finalist run at the Monte Carlo Masters, defending champion points at Barcelona, and the Geneva Open.
That has forced him to decide to compete in the ongoing European indoor hard-court tournaments. During the above-mentioned press conference, he revealed that he’s aiming to give a final push for a place in the ATP Finals:
I am going to try to use that as a motivation and give it a final push. The season is not over yet, and I hope I can finish it strong and maybe climb my way towards having a chance to reach the ATP Finals. But it is going to be really tough, so I am just trying to play well these last three weeks, and then we will see after Paris.
Ruud defeated Marin Cilic in his opening match at the Stockholm Open in straight sets. He will face American star Sebastian Korda in the next round as he seems to win the tournament, which will make him earn over 100 points. His best run since the US Open came at the Tokyo Open, where he reached the semi-finals before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in three sets.
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