Burrage WTA Tour return — Britain’s Jodie Burrage was sent death threats and abusive messages on social media following her first WTA Tour singles match in 16 months, a first-round loss at the Chennai Open. The 27-year-old, ranked 474th, shared a video scroll of the direct messages she received on Instagram after India’s Vaishnavi Adkar came from a set down to win 3-6 6-3 7-5.
In a message accompanying the post, Burrage wrote that it was a harsh reminder of why she had stepped away from the tour. “Nice welcome back to tour. I remember why I left,” she said.
The abuse drew public support from Germany’s Eva Lys, who tagged the WTA in an Instagram post and asked when action would be taken. Burrage, Britain’s number 15, had not played a WTA Tour main-draw match outside qualifying since July 2025, when she lost to Catherine McNally in the first round at Wimbledon.
A wider pattern of abuse
The threats directed at Burrage are part of a broader problem facing women’s tennis. A report published earlier this year found that female players were subjected to more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media in 2025. The figures came from Signify Group’s threat matrix service, which uses artificial intelligence-led detection, and showed a similar volume to 2024.
Signify Group’s research has also examined who is behind the abuse. A report two years ago attributed 48% of abusive posts to angry gamblers. In 2025, gamblers were responsible for 42% of verified abuse and 59% of serious cases.
The issue has affected other British players. Katie Boulter told BBC Sport in 2025 that she had received death threats. In response to the abuse, fellow players have called for social media platforms to introduce identity verification as a way of tackling the problem. The WTA’s player board has previously described the abuse as unacceptable and said its impact can be significant.
Burrage's return and the response
Burrage’s comeback match in Chennai was her first WTA Tour singles appearance proper since Wimbledon in 2025, excluding qualifiers. She took the opening set against Adkar but was unable to close out the match, eventually losing in three sets.
The abuse she received afterwards was documented in her Instagram story, which included a video scroll of the direct messages. Lys’s intervention highlighted the growing frustration among players over the lack of action from social media companies and tennis authorities.
Burrage reached a career-high ranking of 85th in the world in September 2023. Her return to the tour at a lower ranking has now been overshadowed by the threats she received after her first match back.
