Panna Udvardy Reveals Threatening Messages on Social Media After Losing in Turkey

Panna Udvardy lost in the quarter-finals of the WTA 125 tournament in Turkey after being threatened.

Panna Udvardy Reveals Threatening Messages on Social Media After Losing in Turkey

Panna Udvardy (via X/Argentina Open)

In Short
  • Panna Udvardy received threatening messages demanding she lose a match during a tournament in Turkey.
  • The threats included disturbing images and personal information about her family, causing significant distress.
  • The WTA is investigating potential leaks of personal data that may have led to these threats against players.

Hungarian tennis player Panna Udvardy has come forward about receiving messages threatening her and the members of her family unless she agreed to deliberately lose a match while she was competing in a tournament in Turkey. The World No.95 made this known in a post on social media while alerting the WTA.

Udvardy was seeded second in the WTA 125 tournament in Antalya, Turkey, after skipping the Indian Wells Open. The 27-year-old fell to Ukraine star Anhelina Kalinina 6(3)-7, 5-7 in the quarter-finals of the Challenger event. However, before the match, she received a message on WhatsApp, threatening her to lose the match.

The threat comes just days after Italian star Lucrezia Stefanini said she received threats before a qualifying match at the Indian Wells Open. Stefanini crashed out of the qualifiers after Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva came from a set down to beat her 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Kasintseva went on to beat top seed Katie Boulter to book her place in the main draw of the event.

The Italian star received threats from gamblers online after the loss. But Udvardy was different as her threat came before her match, and the consulate in Turkey sent three police officers for her quarter-finals match against Kalinina, while police also protected her parents’ and grandmother’s homes.

On Instagram, Udvardy revealed that an individual threatened her with pictures of a gun and the members of her family, including disturbing private images. The Hungarian star added that it was a scary experience for her and her family and that such a thing should not exist in the sport:

The person told me that if I didn’t lose my match today, they would harm members of my family. They said they knew where my family lives, what cars they drive and that they had their phone numbers. They even sent photos of my family members and a picture of a gun. It was honestly very scary to receive something like this. I want to say something clearly: this is not normal. Even as athletes or public figures, it’s not acceptable to receive threats against our families, especially not on our private phone numbers and alongside disturbing images.

Findings have shown that most threats from gamblers or anonymous individuals are targeted at women players. Several women players, including Jessica Pegula, have called on the tennis governing body to do something about the rate of threats players receive before it gets out of hand. Nonetheless, the WTA has always noted that it is doing its best to make sure players feel safe.

Panna Udvardy blames the leak from the WTA database for threat to her and her family

Last year, several players received threats online during tournaments, and most times after a loss. Eva Lys was a victim of hate messages after losing to Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals of the China Open. Katie Boulter received threats from anonymous individuals after a loss on tour.

Panna Udvardy (via X/Argentina Open)
Panna Udvardy (via X/Argentina Open)

However, some players have not made public any threats but have also informed tennis governing bodies about such threats. Panna Udvardy revealed during the aforementioned post on social media that her personal details may have been leaked from the WTA database, which makes it very worrying for her safety:

I was told that similar ‌threats ⁠have recently happened to other players and that they believe personal information may have leaked from the WTA database, which is currently being investigated. Police also went to my parents and grandmother’s homes, and after ⁠the match I filed an official police report here in Turkey.

The WTA is aware of several players who have been affected by online threats and is investigating how the personal information of players is obtained, as the source is not yet known. The governing body aims to curb the growing trend in the sport while making players feel at home.

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