ROME (AP) — Italian tennis player Lucrezia Stefanini says she and her family were threatened before a tournament qualifier in Indian Wells, Calif., after they received a text message with a photo of a gun, an apparent move to influence the outcome of the match for betting purposes.
Stefanini explained what happened in a BNP Paribas Open video posted on Instagram on Monday.
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“I received a WhatsApp message in which someone threatened to win yesterday’s competition. They threatened me and my family and named my parents, my place of birth and sent me a picture of a gun,” Stefanini said.
Stefanini, ranked 138th, defeated Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of WTA 1000 qualifying – the highest level of women’s tennis outside the four Grand Slams and WTA finals.
“I made this video and explained what happened because I didn’t think it was right to put me through this kind of pressure and anxiety before the game,” Stefanini said. “I notified the WTA immediately and it provided me with additional security. … The entire event was mobilized to make me feel safe.
“Despite this, I fought to the end to try to win the match because I couldn’t allow these people to threaten me.”
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Angelo Binaggi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, called the incident “intolerable.”
“Sending images of weapons, knowledge of personal information and intimidation to athletes marks a troubling increase in quality that has nothing to do with sports,” Binage said.
“Anyone who thinks they can influence a game through fear… should know they have entered criminal territory,” Binage added. “Such behavior deserves an immediate legal response.”
Another Italian player, Mattia Bellucci, has also received threats on social media recently.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency regularly collaborates to investigate match-fixing in the sport, and the WTA and International Tennis Federation said last year that it had tracked 8,000 online posts and comments tagged with abuse, violence or threats through 2024.
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Initiatives have been taken to use artificial intelligence to block threatening comments.
Nonetheless, Binaghi said that in addition to “identifying and punishing those responsible”, “significant strengthening of the international system” was needed to ensure the safety of athletes.
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis