Mexican tennis player Renata Zarazúa has revealed that she received threatening messages after a match at the WTA 125 tournament in Suzhou, China.
The messages were linked to sports betting and the losses of a user on the match results, and also included references to her relatives.
Zarazúa had defeated Ukraine’s Katarina Zavatska at the event when she began receiving the messages. She later lost in the semifinals to Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.
One of the messages read: “Game 6, after taking a two-set lead, you throw the match away. I’m watching the match. Call the police, call whoever you want. I’ll go to prison, but you and your [f…] family will pay dearly for this gift, I swear to you.”
This is not the first time she has received abusive messages while competing internationally. In November 2025, the Mexican tennis player faced similar online harassment during the WTA 125 tournament in Austin, Texas.
Zarazúa went on to win the title, defeating Canada's Marina Stakusic in the final.
In February, Spanish player Nikolás Sánchez Izquierdo reported receiving threats against himself and his family before a match at the Challenger tournament in Rosario, Argentina. The messages demanded that he lose the match and threatened his relatives if he refused to comply.
After reporting the incident to the relevant authorities, he said an unknown number had warned that he and his relatives would be in danger unless meeting the bettors’ demands.
Also in Rosario, Argentinian player Román Burruchaga reported threats before his semifinal. The messages demanded that he lose to his opponent and referred to his parents and their workplaces. He played the match and won.
In May, Spanish player Marina Bassols published messages she received after losing a qualifying match at the Bogotá tournament. One read: “I’m going to kill you. I know where you live.” Another read: “I’ve paid a cartel to have you killed.”
Bassols said the situation had made her afraid and criticized that players end up becoming used to receiving such messages.
Argentinian tennis player Hernán Casanova was suspended for two months by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for betting-related violations and failing to report a bribery approach
