Threats to tennis player: Lucrezia Stefanini receives threat before match due to betting

Italian Tennis Player Lucrezia Stefanini Receives Threats Before Match

Italian tennis player Lucrezia Stefanini has reported receiving threats, including a photo of a gun, before a qualifying match for the Indian Wells tournament in California. The incident, apparently related to betting, has caused shock in the tennis world. Stefanini shared his experience through a video posted on Instagram, explaining the details of the threats received.

Description of the Instagram post

“I received a WhatsApp message in which they threatened me for winning yesterday’s match. They threatened me and my family, mentioned my parents, the place where I was born, and sent me a photo of a weapon,” declared Stefanini.

Lucrezia Stefanini

In the tournament, Stefanini, currently ranked 138th, was defeated by Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the first qualifying round. Stefanini explained that she decided to make public what happened to express her rejection of the pressure and discomfort she suffered before the match. “I immediately alerted the WTA, which provided me with more security. The whole tournament mobilized to make me feel safe. Despite everything, I fought until the end to try to win my match, because I cannot allow these people to intimidate me,” she added. The president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, Angelo Binaghi, called the episode “intolerable”.

“Sending images of weapons, knowledge of personal information, and intimidation towards an athlete marks a disturbing increase in quality that has nothing to do with sports. Whoever believes they can condition a match through fear… must know that they have entered criminal territory. This type of behavior deserves an immediate legal response,” Binaghi stated.

Angelo Binaghi

Mattia Bellucci, another Italian player, has also been recently threatened through social media. The International Tennis Integrity Agency regularly collaborates on investigations into match-fixing. The WTA and the International Tennis Federation reported that in 2024, 8,000 online posts and comments categorized as abusive, violent, or threatening have been tracked. Measures are being implemented, including the use of artificial intelligence, to block threatening comments. Binaghi suggested that, in addition to “identifying and punishing those responsible”, a “drastically reinforced international system” is required to protect athletes.