Argentinian tennis player Román Burruchaga received a series of death threats via WhatsApp ahead of his semifinal match at the Rosario Challenger 125 tournament, in what authorities believe is another case linked to illegal betting interests targeting professional players.
Burruchaga, the son of former footballer Jorge Burruchaga, received intimidating messages from unregistered phone numbers while traveling to the Jockey. Some of the messages originated from Rosario-area phone codes and instructed him to lose the match without winning a set against his opponent, referred to in the messages as “the Chinese player.”
The threats included warnings directed at Burruchaga and his family. Messages that later circulated in local media included statements such as: “We have enough guns for you and your family,” “You have to lose against the Chinese today,” and “We’re in Rosario and have photos of where you’re located right now.”
Burruchaga filed a formal complaint at a police station in Santa Fe province and was granted 24-hour police protection. Despite the intimidation, he went on to defeat Taiwan’s Chun Hsin Tseng 6–3, 6–3 in the semifinal. Authorities advised him to avoid making public statements while the investigation was ongoing.
On February 8, Burruchaga lost the final to defending champion Camilo Ugo Carabelli, 6–2, 6–3.
The incident adds to mounting concerns over illegal betting operations targeting lower-tier professional tennis tournaments. In recent months, other players have reported similar attempts at coercion, reinforcing warnings from tennis authorities about the vulnerability of events with smaller prize pools and limited security resources.
According to local reporting, the intensity of the intimidating messages increased over time and included explicit references to Burruchaga’s parents, intensifying the psychological pressure on the player
