More WTA players face death threats, slut-shaming & worse as Eva Lys & Maria Sakkari reveal horrific social media abuse messages after Tokyo loss

Maria Sakkari and Eva Lys shared screenshots of the abusive messages they received after their Tokyo Open campaigns. This came shortly after Sloane Stephens was flooded with death threats and slut-shaming texts from bettors following her brief ITF Tampico stint.

The number of female tennis players being flooded with inappropriate messages on their social media handles is rapidly increasing, as Sakkari and Lys joined the long list after their first- and second-round exits, respectively. The messages that the players usually get bombarded with come from bettors or gamblers who lose money when a player they wagered on doesn't make it through.

At the Tokyo Open, Maria Sakkari made a first-round exit after losing to Leylah Fernandez in straight sets, and Eva Lys fell to Victoria Mboko in the Round of 16. Following their respective stints, the players took to their Instagram stories to share screenshots of the derogatory messages fans filled their DMs with.

On Sakkari's first story, a fan wrote:

"You f**king bitch need to be die you are burden on tennis, you played like Idiot brainless player you whore go away frog tennis bitch you bitch 4-0 to 5-7 shame on whore second set you get two break games but you are son of whore b**ch you never gonna win die horrible death b**ch"

Some other fans launched death threats and called her a cowardly 'loser'.

Sakkari receives death threats; Instagram - @mariasakkari

Eva Lys also received several offensive messages from fans, who suggested that she should end her career, called her talentless, and even hurled r**e threats at her.

She expressed frustration, writing:

"Tennis is fun until its not"

Eva Lys shared threatening messages; Instagram - @eva.lys

Maria Sakkari revealed that she ended her 2025 season at the Tokyo Open

Sakkari at the Mubadala Citi DC Open Tennis Tournament: Maria Sakkari - Source: Getty

The Greek player ended her season with the Tokyo tournament despite being scheduled to play at a WTA 250 event in Hong Kong. She reflected on her performances, noting that her season had been tough and commenting on the messages she received after her match. The Greek player also assured that the tennis world will next see her compete in 2026.

"I don’t usually do this, but I wanted to share a few words. There’s really nothing to say about the messages I received after my match. Every tennis player gets these kinds of messages daily." "This season has been tough — certainly below my own expectations. It wasn’t easy to accept that after years of competing at a high level. I’m grateful to the people around me and to the fans who continue to believe in me. It wasn’t the season I wanted, but good things are coming. To everyone who doubts me — my goal isn’t to prove you wrong, but to prove myself right. See you in 2026."

Sakkari earned the World No. 3 ranking in 2022, becoming the highest-ranked Greek women's tennis player.

Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder