The young Czech player, Linda Noskova, received a terrible message on social media, which she shared on her Instagram story. This happened when Noskova had just lost at the ongoing Japan Open to the resurgent Russian player, the current world no. 86, Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova.
In a highly abusive message, a tennis follower wrote, “Kill yourself, you dumb fu*king bi*ch, end your fu*king life.” The user also pointed out that Noskova had 20 game points and still lost the game. Then the user repeatedly wrote in the same message, “Get cancer and die, obese fu*king bi*ch.”
Linda Noskova posts a disturbing message she received after her loss in Tokyo
This is nauseating to read. Sadly, it’s becoming more & more common for these athletes to deal with harassment almost daily.
Reminder that Linda is only 18 years old & has to read this.
Sickening. pic.twitter.com/4LewvzLK9G
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 28, 2023
However, the 18-year-old Czech star didn’t lose heart. She drew inspiration from another teen sensation, Coco Gauff, who recently discussed how such hateful messages motivated her. Undeterred, Linda shared a screenshot of the message and sarcastically replied with “Dude” along with a laughing emoji, followed by a clapping emoji.
Reactions from the tennis community
The Tennis Letter strongly condemned the message, stating, “This is nauseating to read. Sadly, it’s becoming more & more common for these athletes to deal with harassment almost daily.”
Many tennis fans expressed concern about such toxic abuses and hatred on social media, affecting not only tennis players but others as well. Some fans even highlighted the dark side of tennis betting, which seemed to trigger these hateful and frustrated reactions. One fan noted that it had become commonplace when betting was involved. The fan poured his heart out in a lengthy message, which read;
The sad thing is this common place now. My heart goes out to all the players that put up with this shit. It all thanks to the rise of online betting. It doesn’t make it right but it is the reason.
Social media platforms don’t as long as they pull in the big dollars. Something…
— Vicki Mainard 🇦🇺🕹🏀🐈 I say no the racist voice (@vmainard) September 28, 2023
Another fan criticized by stating, “This is wrong on so many levels but certainly isn’t new. Noskova is such a promising young player with a bright future. The person that wrote this to her needs to spend some time in the mirror.”
This is wrong on so many levels but certainly isn’t new. Noskova is such a promising young player with a bright future. The person that wrote this to her needs to spend some time in the mirror.
— ThisGuyKyHasAI (@NoVaxAllFacts) September 28, 2023
Promising rise of Linda Noskova in women’s tennis
In a thrilling Round of 16 at the Japan Open in Tokyo, Noskova faced Pavlyunchenkova, and it went down to the wire in three sets, with Noskova losing 3-6, 6-4, 0-6. Despite this loss, the teenager has had a breakout 2023 season. She made a name for herself at the WTA 500 Adelaide International at the beginning of the year, reaching the finals only to be defeated by Aryna Sabalenka.
Starting the year at world no. 102, Linda achieved her first two top-10 wins when she beat Daria Kasatkina, ranked 8, and Ons Jabeur ranked 2 in the world, as a qualifier in Adelaide. Her journey continued at the prestigious WTA 1000 tournaments – BNP Paribas Open and Western & Southern Open, where she reached the third round in both events. She also reached the Prague Open finals.
Final inbound for Linda Noskova! 🙌🙌
She defeated Ons Jabeur in a three set thriller!
Final Score: 6-3 1-6 6-3 🔥#AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/dQvmjHhbn6— Adelaide International (@AdelaideTennis) January 7, 2023
Linda’s consistent performances and an impressive win-loss record of 32-19 this year have propelled her into the top 50 in the world rankings. She currently holds the ranking of world no. 44 at just the age of 18. Despite Noskova’s recent setback, her future as a top-notch player remains promising.
