Panna Udvardy receives gun photo and threats before match in Turkey
Hungarian tennis player Panna Udvardy has revealed she received “disturbing” threats, including a picture of a gun, warning her family would be harmed unless she lost a match.
The world number 95 said the messages arrived via WhatsApp on her personal phone on Thursday night from an unknown number.
Along with images of her family members, the sender claimed to know where her relatives lived and what cars they drove.
Police protection deployed
Following the threats, the Hungarian consulate in Turkey dispatched three police officers to protect the 27-year-old during her WTA 125 quarter-final in Antalya.
Security measures were also implemented at the homes of her parents and grandmother to ensure their safety.
Udvardy eventually lost the match 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 to Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina on Friday.
“The person told me that if I didn’t lose my match today, they would harm members of my family,” Udvardy wrote on Instagram.
“They even sent photos of my family members and a picture of a gun. It was honestly very scary to receive something like this.”
Wider concerns for player safety
The incident comes just days after Italian player Lucrezia Stefanini reported receiving similar threats prior to a qualifying match for Indian Wells.
It is understood the WTA is aware of several players being targeted and is investigating how private contact details have been obtained.
The Budapest-born player confirmed she has filed a formal police report regarding the extortion attempt.
“Even as athletes or public figures, it’s not acceptable to receive threats against our families, especially not on our private phone numbers,” Udvardy added.
“We should not normalise abuse like this in sport. No player should have to deal with something like this.”
