In recent Instagram stories, world No. 3 Jessica Pegula exposed some of the vile and disturbing messages she regularly receives online—so frequently, in fact, that she has grown used to them. The American tennis star believes that this level of abuse is uniquely intense in the world of tennis, claiming other professional athletes don’t endure the same constant wave of internet hate.
Much of this abuse comes from angry bettors who target players after losses. It’s an all-too-common part of life on the tennis tour, and many players have voiced their frustration about it.