Overview
- Panna Udvardy said an unknown WhatsApp sender with a U.K. number threatened her family, shared a gun photo and personal details, and ordered her to lose her Antalya quarterfinal.
- Udvardy informed the WTA supervisor, her family contacted the Hungarian consulate, three police officers monitored her match, and she filed a report with Turkish authorities after losing to Anhelina Kalinina.
- Italian player Lucrezia Stefanini earlier disclosed a near-identical WhatsApp threat before Indian Wells qualifying, after which tournament security was increased.
- In an email to players reviewed by reporters, the WTA said there has been no official data breach and confirmed an active investigation into the messages with FBI involvement.
- Udvardy criticized what she described as a downplayed tour response, while broader data from a 2024 WTA/ITF report shows thousands of abusive or threatening posts, many linked to gamblers.