Tennis player says she doesn't fear for her safety from online abuse

A report by the WTA and World Tennis, based on data from the Signify Group's Threat Matrix service, found that angry gamblers were responsible for 42% of all verified online abuse detected during the 2025 season. The finding has intensified concerns over recent sponsorship agreements that link tournaments such as the Davis Cup and the US Open with gambling firms, including a multi‑year deal with prediction‑market platform Kalshi. Player Katie Burrage said she believes social‑media sites should take stronger action, adding, "I think an ID should be put on every Instagram account, and then that way it makes more people more accountable for their actions on that platform,".

She continued, "I think it would limit what people would say. People should be accountable for what they say and that's where I think there could be more of a push to change. It's only getting worse."

All WTA and World Tennis players now have access to Threat Matrix, which monitors social‑media posts aimed at them and can quickly assess whether personal safety is at risk. The service can alert platforms and, if necessary, law‑enforcement agencies, and it also allows gaming companies to ban offenders whose names are shared. Burrage, whose singles ranking rose to 474 after falling to 888 in July 2025 due to injury and illness, said the abuse will not derail her plans, stating, "I'm at a place where it's all bigger picture for me and everything I'm doing now is to have a good season in 2027," and, "I'm building a team that is really good around me.

They know where I've been, what I've gone through. It's not what you want, but if I have to go through it, then I will."