Coco Gauff said she was expecting to receive hate messages online after missing a match point in an agonising Wimbledon last-four loss to Karolina Muchova on Thursday.
The 22-year-old, playing in her first Wimbledon semi-final, slipped to a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (12/10) defeat in a dramatic match on Centre Court.
Gauff had a golden opportunity to win the match when leading 9-8 in the deciding-set tie-break, but opted for a drop shot on a short return from Muchova, only to send it into the net with her opponent stranded.
The American later said she assumed that when she logged into her social media accounts, there would be hateful comments waiting for her from disgruntled gamblers.
“I’ll be online. Probably already got some hate comments and stuff. It’s okay. Just makes you stronger,” said Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion.
“Bettors who lose who are mad and stuff. It’s the usual. It sucks, but it’s like, whatever.
Coco Gauff says her loss to Karolina Muchova in the Wimbledon semifinals is not a painful story, 'Someone had to lose and unfortunately it was me today'
"I mean, as much painful as it is from the outside.. I was down 7-4 in the second round and I'm here in the semis. I had a… pic.twitter.com/AS3SLnkboU
“I’ll come on the winning end next time and I’ll be sure to tag them.”
Several players in recent years have spoken out about hateful messages on social media, including death threats.
In January 2024, tennis’ governing bodies launched an AI tool called the ‘Threat Matrix’ to monitor social-media abuse of players.
The WTA and ITF later said analysts had verified around 8,000 messages as “abusive, violent or threatening” in 2024, highlighting “angry gamblers increasingly targeting players”.
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Published on Jul 09, 2026