{"id":191724,"date":"2025-09-01T15:05:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T15:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/191724\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T15:05:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T15:05:10","slug":"it-has-to-stop-us-open-star-distracted-by-courtside-bettor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/191724\/","title":{"rendered":"‘It has to stop’ – US Open star distracted by courtside ‘bettor’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the small confines of the US Open outside courts, it is virtually impossible for players not to hear exactly what fans are saying, even when they are focusing on a potentially career-defining match.<\/p>\n

Shouts from courtside are almost universally supportive – but some players are starting to believe all is not what it seems.<\/p>\n

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In a peculiar New York incident, Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi reported a vocal fan to the chair umpire – for cheering him on.<\/p>\n

Exasperated by losing a break, 23-year-old Riedi suspected the man was a bettor and decided to act.<\/p>\n

“It feels like more and more bettors are coming to watch,” said Riedi, who has reached the last 16 in only his second Grand Slam main draw.<\/p>\n

“Of course they can come to watch tennis if they stay on the right side of the line, but I think it is a problem which is getting bigger and bigger because of social media.<\/p>\n

“If people come live [to matches] and support that’s nice, of course.<\/p>\n

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“But you know if you lose, one of these guys who are betting might abuse you on social media later.”<\/p>\n

What happened in Riedi’s match?<\/p>\n

Seeing a player launch into an on-court tirade is nothing unusual, but Riedi shouting at someone in his native language turned out to be different.<\/p>\n

The incident, which was first spotted and reported by Bounces<\/a>, came in a pivotal moment during his second-round win over Argentine 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo.<\/p>\n

Riedi had lost the first two sets before winning the third, but had just given up a break he had earned earlier in the fourth.<\/p>\n

One particular man – who Riedi had also spotted during his first-round victory against Spain’s Pedro Martinez – was stood in the corner of the court and bore the brunt of his frustration.<\/p>\n

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“In that moment he was saying the wrong words to me,” Riedi, who has faced online abuse from gamblers, told BBC Sport.<\/p>\n

“He was trying to be positive but for me it was like ‘be quiet, you have nothing to do with me’, you’re just betting on me.<\/p>\n

“He was not a Swiss guy and he was always on his phone. So for me… he’s probably a bettor.<\/p>\n

“In that moment I just didn’t want to see or hear this guy.”<\/p>\n

Following his outburst, Riedi told chair umpire Scotty Moore about his suspicions.<\/p>\n

Riedi claims both Martinez and Cerundolo – who could not be contacted by BBC Sport – also thought the fan was a bettor.<\/p>\n

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The man left the court by “his own volition”, according to the United States Tennis Association (USTA), and was not escorted out by security.<\/p>\n

“Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel I’m correct because I’ve experienced it enough – that he was betting,” said Riedi.<\/p>\n

“If he really is a supporter and he didn’t bet then I’m truly sorry, but I have a gut feeling he was a bettor.<\/p>\n

“I told the umpire if I lose, this guy will text and say ‘I hope your mother dies’. This has happened too many times.”<\/p>\n

Tennis deals with gambling firm should ‘stop’<\/p>\n

Like all sports, tennis has started to count on betting sponsorships as a substantial source of income.<\/p>\n

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As high-profile players have campaigned for more prize money and a greater share of sponsor revenue, governing bodies and tournaments have demonstrated an increased willingness to work with gambling firms.<\/p>\n

In February, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) extended its deal with Stake – the company which also sponsors sports teams including the Sauber Formula 1 team, and Everton – as the official betting partner of the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) signed a multi-year agreement with online gaming company FanDuel Group, while the Madrid Open, the Miami Open and Swedish Open are sponsored by Betway.<\/p>\n

Riedi feels these sponsorship deals are not appropriate.<\/p>\n

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“Personally I think it should stop,” he said. “Because the [bettors] feel like if [companies] are sponsoring tennis events then it is fine to do it.”<\/p>\n

Tournaments are played all around the world throughout most of the year, making tennis one of the most popular sports for regular gamblers to bet on.<\/p>\n

A source at one of the world’s largest multi-platform gambling operators recently told the BBC that more than \u00a3100m is wagered on tennis matches worldwide each day.<\/p>\n

“It is tough. I get it for the people who want to bet – if they want to bet they can bet,” said Riedi.<\/p>\n

“There are many people betting and they aren’t writing to you – that’s fine.<\/p>\n

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“You can’t forbid betting. But the [authorities] need to do something to stop the social media abuse.”<\/p>\n

How rife is abuse from gamblers?<\/p>\n

An increasing number of players have started to speak out about the scale of abuse they face from gamblers.<\/p>\n

When Britain’s Katie Boulter revealed the nature of the messages she receives on social media, she emphasised that many feature references to gambling.<\/p>\n

Angry gamblers were behind 48% of 12,000 social media posts deemed abusive towards tennis players in 2024, according to an artificial intelligence-led detection system.<\/p>\n

The ITF, WTA, USTA and All England Lawn Tennis Club joined forces at the end of last year to launch a programme that monitors posts on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.<\/p>\n

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Like most players, Riedi has received hundreds of message which are “tough” to see.<\/p>\n

“I just don’t see how can you even think about texting ‘I hope you die’ or ‘I hope you get cancer’ to a player – that’s just so wrong,” he added.<\/p>\n

“When I played at Wimbledon, I lost in the main draw and one guy did a [Instagram] story of me and wished me to die – for five days in a row.<\/p>\n

“I’m not crying about it but I saw it because he was tagging me. It needs to stop.”<\/p>\n