WTA star details ‘disturbing messages’ sent on WhatsApp as family members threatened
WTA Tour player Panna Udvardy has revealed that she was sent “disturbing” and threatening messages about her family on WhatsApp, after an alleged leak of the WTA database.
World No 95 Udvardy is currently competing in a string of WTA 125 events in Antalya, with the Hungarian beaten in the quarter-final of one of those events by Anhelina Kalinina.
However, the 27-year-old revealed on Instagram that ahead of the match, she had received vile abuse directly through WhatsApp — with her family threatened.
The troll, whose phone number appears to be British, said in the messages — posted on Instagram by Udvardy — that they would send groups to her mother’s house “to kidnap her”, while claiming they knew the “locations” of several of her family members.
The 27-year-old was also sent a picture of a gun as part of the sick messages, and in her Instagram post, she revealed that her mobile number may have been accessible after an alleged WTA database leak.
She wrote: “Last night around midnight I received several very disturbing messages on WhatsApp from an unknown number on my personal phone.
“The person told me that if I didn’t lose my match today, they would harm members of my family. They said they knew where my family lives, what cars they drive and that they had their phone numbers. They even sent photos of my family members and a picture of a gun.
“It was honestly very scary to receive something like this.
“I immediately contacted the WTA supervisor, sent the screenshots, and informed my parents. My parents then contacted the consulate, and when I woke up this morning I also spoke again with the WTA supervisor. I was told that similar threats have recently happened to other players and that they believe personal information may have leaked from the WTA database, which is currently being investigated.
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“The consulate responded very quickly and sent three police officers to my match, which I’m extremely grateful for. Police also went to my parents and grandmother’s homes, and after the match I filed an official police report here in Turkey.”
Udvardy’s story will spark huge concern across the WTA Tour, with Lucrezia Stefanini also revealing earlier this week that she was the target of vile abuse after her qualifying defeat in Indian Wells.
Concerns over abuse sent to tennis players have been growing in recent months, with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jessica Pegula, Gael Monfils, and Katie Boulter speaking out in 2025.
And, when asked about Udvardy’s post during her press conference in Indian Wells on Friday, WTA world No 6 Amanda Anisimova admitted it was frightening to see another player go through that experience.
She said: “It was a super scary post that I saw the other day with Panna.
“Yeah, I mean, I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. It’s really crazy and I don’t think she got any sleep the night before her match, which is just unbelievable that, yeah, she gets threats like that to her family and close, I mean, super horrible, really scary.
“The only thing is that I hope that there are safety measures, security measures, and I feel like they were taken seriously in the post from what I have read that a lot of people are trying to step in and help and make her feel safe.”
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