Jelena Ostapenko Faces Online Abuse After Canadian Open Loss

Latvian tennis player Jelena Ostapenko retired from her second‑round match at the Canadian Open after falling behind 0‑6, 0‑4 against Zhang Shuai, citing injury and physical discomfort. Following the loss, Ostapenko posted screenshots of a flood of abusive online messages, including body‑shaming and life‑threatening comments, on her Instagram story. She noted that many of the remarks came from gamblers upset by her defeat. The WTA has responded by deploying an AI‑driven tool called the Threat Matrix, which flags abusive comments and has identified that roughly 40 % of the harassment originates from bettors. Other players, such as Jessica Pegula, have voiced support for stronger protections against online hate. Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion and recent US Open women’s doubles winner, highlighted the broader issue of digital abuse faced by professional athletes.