Jessica Pegula Slams Tennis’ ‘Unavoidable’ Online Abuse Crisis After French Open Exit
Jessica Pegula, the world No. 6, has called out the “crazy” and “unavoidable” issue of online abuse in tennis, labeling it a normalized problem that players face daily. Following her surprising three-set defeat to Ons Jabeur in the third round of the 2025 French Open on June 2, Pegula took to Instagram Stories to share a thread exposing the extent of the vitriol, including death threats and hateful messages targeting her and her family. “Every person on tour deals with it. It’s so bad. Those are just really small snippets. I get told my family should get cancer and die from people here on a regular basis,” she wrote, per Express.co.uk, questioning why tennis seems uniquely plagued compared to other sports.[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/2064474/Jessica-Pegula-French-Open-online-abuse)
The American, who reached the 2024 US Open final, posted screenshots of dozens of abusive messages, highlighting how betting-related harassment has escalated. “I’d love to know because it seems to be predominantly tennis?? It’s so disturbing,” she added, noting the issue’s pervasiveness. Pegula’s comments follow similar concerns raised by players like Iga Swiatek, who criticized Roland Garros crowds for disruptive behavior, and Novak Djokovic, who faced a rowdy fan during his 2025 quarter-final. The toxic online environment, often fueled by gambling losses, has led to calls for stricter measures, with Pegula suggesting platforms like X need to act to curb anonymous abuse.
Pegula’s 2025 French Open campaign ended earlier than hoped, despite a strong clay season, including a Charleston Open title and a Stuttgart final. Her loss to Jabeur, a former Wimbledon finalist, marked her second straight year exiting Roland Garros in the third round. Off the court, Pegula has been vocal about systemic issues, previously criticizing the “broken” anti-doping process in February 2025 after Jannik Sinner’s doping case settlement, stating, “The process is completely broken,” and highlighting players’ distrust in its inconsistencies.[](https://x.com/DExpress_Sport/status/1930319483953897571)
The tennis community rallied behind Pegula, with fans and analysts on X, like @lawanda50, calling the abuse “terrible” and “disgusting.” As Pegula prepares for the grass season, her outspoken stance underscores a broader push for change in addressing online harassment, a problem she deems unavoidable without significant intervention from tennis authorities and social media platforms.
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