Tennis Player Mark Lajal Says Bettors Wished Him Dead and Criticizes ATP’s Ties to Bookmakers

^{Mark Lajal, tennis player}

Estonia’s No. 1 men’s tennis player Mark Lajal has spoken out about threats he received after losing at a Challenger tournament in Spain. Delfi Sport reported the story.

On September 5, Lajal lost to France’s Félix Balchow in the semifinals of a tournament in Manacor, 6-7, 5-7. After the match, he posted screenshots of the messages he had received on social media.

In the messages, people wished Lajal dead or seriously ill and threatened his family. According to the player, most of these messages came from people who had bet on him and lost money.

^{Screenshot of a post showing threats received by Mark Lajal}

Lajal said he regularly receives such abuse after defeats. In some cases, strangers even find his phone number, call him and send threats directly.

“Even though this happens after every loss, and to many players, that doesn’t make it normal,” Lajal said.

He also drew attention to the relationship between professional tennis and the betting industry.

Lajal noted that the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which runs the men’s professional tennis tour, receives money from betting companies and questioned the price players are paying for those ties given the threats they face.

He also described gambling addiction as a serious problem and said he hoped the people sending such messages would be able to get the help they need.

☘️ You might be interested to know — our promo code for 1win has been updated. Casino that gives you free spins.