{"id":518308,"date":"2026-03-04T14:46:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T14:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/518308\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T14:46:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T14:46:13","slug":"lucrezia-stefanini-discusses-threat-against-her-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/518308\/","title":{"rendered":"Lucrezia Stefanini discusses threat against her, family"},"content":{"rendered":"

ROME — Italian tennis player Lucrezia Stefanini<\/a> says she and her family were threatened as she received a text message featuring a photo of a gun before a qualifying match for the Indian Wells tournament in California — an apparent attempt to affect the result for betting purposes.<\/p>\n

Stefanini explained what happened in a video posted on Instagram<\/a> on Tuesday from the BNP Paribas Open.<\/p>\n

“I received a WhatsApp message in which I was threatened over winning yesterday’s match. They threatened me and my family and named my parents, the place where I was born, and they sent me a photo of a gun,” Stefanini said.<\/p>\n

The 138th-ranked Stefanini was beaten 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva<\/a> in the first round of qualifying for the WTA 1000 event, the highest level in women’s tennis outside of the four Grand Slams and WTA Finals.<\/p>\n

“I’m making this video and explaining what happened because I don’t think it’s right to put me under this pressure and unease before a match,” Stefanini said. “I immediately alerted the WTA, which provided me with more security. … The entire tournament mobilized to make me feel safe.<\/p>\n

“Despite it all, I fought until the end to try and win my match, because I can’t permit these people to intimidate me.”<\/p>\n

Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi called the episode “intolerable.”<\/p>\n

“Sending images of weapons, knowledge of personal information and intimidation toward an athlete marks an increase of disturbing quality that doesn’t have anything to do with sports,” Binaghi said.<\/p>\n

“Whoever thinks they can condition a match through fear … should know that they have entered criminal territory,” Binaghi added. “This kind of behavior deserves an immediate legal response.”<\/p>\n

Mattia Bellucci<\/a>, another Italian player, was also recently threatened via social media.<\/p>\n

The International Tennis Integrity Agency routinely collaborates on investigations of match-fixing in the sport, and the WTA and International Tennis Federation have said that in 2024 they had tracked 8,000 online posts and comments<\/a> labeled as abusive, violent or threatening.<\/p>\n

There have been moves to employ artificial intelligence to block threatening comments.<\/p>\n

Binaghi suggested that besides “identifying and punishing those responsible” that “a drastically strengthened international system” is required to keep athletes safe.<\/p>\n