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<\/p>\n Email Link<\/p>\n Montreal, Canada \n Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina<\/a> has spoken out about the deluge of hateful abuse she received online from frustrated gamblers<\/a> after losing a match in Canada, including messages wishing her death and celebrating Russia killing her compatriots.\n <\/p>\n \n Following her straight-sets loss to Naomi Osaka<\/a> in the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open on Tuesday night, Svitolina posted screenshots of the messages on Instagram<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n The abuse was directed at her, while other racial slurs also targeted her husband, the French tennis player Ga\u00ebl Monfils<\/a>, who is Black. One abuser hoped that Russia \u201ckills all you (expletive) Ukrainians\u201d in the war raging in Svitolina\u2019s country<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cTo all the bettors: I\u2019m a mom before I\u2019m an athlete,\u201d Svitolina wrote in her Instagram story. \u201cThe way you talk to women \u2014 to mothers \u2014 is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your messages, they\u2019d be disgusted.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Earlier this year, British player Katie Boulter said she received death threats during the French Open targeting her and her family, while the WTA and ITF called on betting companies to do more to stem the flood of online abuse players face on social media.\n <\/p>\n
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