Ukrainian women's tennis player receives death threats after losing quarter final in Montreal
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While Canada's new star, 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, has been receiving plaudits for her meteoric rise at the tournament – as she readies herself to play in tonight's women's final – other players have not been so lucky.
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Ukrainian Elina Svitolina was the target of online vitriol after losing in the quarterfinals. The messages have included death threats and celebrations of Russia killing her compatriots. Racial slurs have also been directed at her husband, French tennis player Gael Monfils, who is Black.
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Svitolina has hit back with her own messages: 'To all the bettors: I'm a mum before I'm an athlete. The way you talk to women — to mothers — is SHAMEFUL. If your mothers saw your messages, they'd be disgusted.'
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Elina Svitolina showed the abusive & horrific messages she received from bettors after her loss to Naomi Osaka in Montreal.
Her response to them:
'To all the bettors: I'm a mom before I'm an athlete. The way you talk to women - to mothers - is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your… pic.twitter.com/nG7jA87Bw3
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 6, 2025
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American tennis player Coco Gauff, who lost to Mboko in the quarter finals, told the Associated Press that threats are not uncommon. 'After I lost, I got like murder threats, I got told they were going to find my mom and stuff,' she said in Montreal. 'I used to take it really to heart when I was younger. But now, not as much.'
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Gauff insists social media platforms could do 'a lot better' to filter out the hate. 'TikTok does a great job of blocking, deleting people and deleting pages as soon as something hurtful is commented, (but) I don't think Instagram and X do the same with their requirements,' she said.
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American Taylor Townsend, who finished runner-up in women's doubles with Chinese partner Zhang Shuai, says online abuse is not new.
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'It sucks, but it's also part of the world that we live in,' she said. 'And … there are a lot of people who don't and who are just hiding behind screens … it's a part of just being a public figure and being front-facing and playing a sport.'
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The Province
9 minutes ago
- The Province
SFU Red Leafs pondering return to Canadian leagues after issues with U.S.
'The responsible step for SFU is to consider various governance models, costs and implications," a statement from the school this week read Get the latest from Steve Ewen straight to your inbox SFU Red Leafs running back Mason Glover tries to avoid a tackle by UBC Thunderbirds Ryan Baker during the 34th Shrum Bowl in 2022. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG The SFU Red Leafs are considering coming back to Canadian competition. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors SFU has been a member of NCAA Div. II since 2010, but the school explained in a written statement Thursday afternoon that it is looking at all its options and pointed to issues with competing in the U.S. as the reason why. SFU is the lone Canadian member in the NCAA. They moved there from the U Sports national body and its Canada West Conference, where they had been playing against the likes of the UBC Thunderbirds, UVic Vikes and Trinity Western Spartans in a variety of sports since 2000. Prior to that, SFU teams had played in the American small college National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics since the school opened in 1965. Multiple sources have told Postmedia that leaving the NCAA has been a conversation at SFU for several weeks. They said concerns include going back and forth across the border for games and the new NCAA rules limiting the participation of transgender athletes. The SFU statement didn't get into specifics, though. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There was no word on whether SFU features any transgender athletes. 'SFU is proud to be Canada's only NCAA team. We are working closely with the NCAA to understand evolving changes to the NCAA participation framework and how they may impact our programs and our student-athletes,' the statement read. 'It has also become more challenging to have student-athletes cross the U.S. border. Underlying these specific examples, like all post-secondary institutions, SFU needs to consider sustainability as we build successful programs. 'Because of these factors, the responsible step for SFU is to consider various governance models, costs and implications. This is something we are committed to do. We are aware that any change would be a huge decision for the university and would take some time. It would also need to include careful conversations with internal and external stakeholders.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canada West features teams from 17 schools. There are seven schools included in that from B.C., with the UBC Okanagan Heat, Thompson Rivers WolfPack, Fraser Valley Cascades and UNBC Timberwolves as well as UBC, UVic and Trinity Western. SFU would need to apply to both Canada West and U Sports and be voted in to become a member school. A report commissioned by SFU by McLaren Global Sports Solutions' senior vice-president Bob Copeland in May 2023 to look at the sustainability of football and the overall state of athletics at the school listed the application fees for Canada West at $313,000 and for U Sports at $55,000. SFU had shut down its football program initially in April 2023. A backlash from players, alumni and the football community led to the Copeland report. SFU published Copeland's report in September 2023. Football remained in limbo on the sidelines for several months, before SFU published its new strategic plan for athletics and recreation in January, and SFU Provost and Vice-President Academic Dilson Rassier confirmed at the time that the program was remaining shuttered. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Mark Coletta, who is the longtime coach of SFU's club men's hockey program, told Postmedia in October 2023 that he thought a Red Leafs team could be a contender in Div. I in five years and that he could come up with enough boosters for the program to be self-funded. The school hasn't signed off on adding the squad to its varsity roster, though. Coletta's team has had success in exhibition games against Div. I teams, including playing the Boston University Terriers to a 1-1 draw on the road in January 2024. Under NCAA rules, an SFU team could play Div. I since there is no national tournament in men's hockey in Div. II. A move by the school to Canada West would kibosh all that. Canada West and U Sports would undoubtedly only accept SFU if it brought all of its eligible programs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Meanwhile, SFU has been in the midst of a cash crunch, like all universities in the country seem to be. Copeland's report pointed to an athletics budget deficit of $1.77 million when football was running. And a Postmedia story in December 2023 quoted a Rassier memo to faculty and staff in regards to department budgets being cut five to eight per cent over the current and coming fiscal years. Rassier told Postmedia in January in regards to the new plan for athletics: 'Part of this is planning is to make absolutely sure that department is financially sustainable. So we're going to be constantly evaluating to make sure. We cannot work in ways over the next few years in ways where the department won't be financially sustainable. We have to work within a budget that is responsible with the other needs of the university.' SFU named Luc Simard as executive-director of athletics and recreation in August 2024. The athletic department had been under interim leadership for a year. Athletic director Theresa Hanson and the school agreed to part ways in August 2023. Simard had been the University of Toronto's director of sports and recreation. @SteveEwen SEwen@ Read More Op-Ed News Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver Whitecaps News
Winnipeg Free Press
39 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Frederick Richard is taking his fight to make gymnastics ‘cool' to a new front: His uniform
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Frederick Richard is taking the fight to make men's gymnastics matter to a new front: his wardrobe. The charismatic 21-year-old Olympic bronze medalist switched out the stirrup pants that have long been a staple of the men's uniform for shorts with compression leggings at the U.S. Championships this weekend, firm in his belief that the three-tenths (0.3) deduction he receives every day of competition that he breaks the rules is worth it if it makes his sport more accessible. Even when those tenths add up. Richard edged Fuzzy Benas by less than a quarter of a point for second place behind two-time national champion Asher Hong. If Richard had worn the traditional uniform, his margin over Benas could have been a little more comfortable. Yet asked if the statement he is trying to make — that it's time for men's gymnastics to modernize its uniforms — is worth the risk to his potential placement during a given meet, he didn't hesitate. 'It's 1,000% worth it,' Richard said. 'If you look at these kids in the crowd, I'm thinking about them and I'm thinking about when I was younger.' Finding an alternative While Richard quickly fell in love with gymnastics as a kid growing up in the Boston area, the stirrup pants worn by the guys on pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars, and high bar were another matter. 'If I left the gym to go to the gas station, I didn't want anybody to see me in my pommel horse pants,' Richard said. 'Kids would say, 'Do you do gymnastics?' I'd say 'Yeah.' But I didn't want them to search 'gymnast' and see the uniform. I didn't feel like it was cool.' His solution was to design an alternative. With the help of the apparel company Turn, Richard debuted the look earlier this year and 'refined' it ahead of nationals. During the opening night of competition on Thursday, the rising Michigan junior wore maize-and-blue colored zebra-patterned leggings with (almost) matching blue shorts. On Saturday, Richard swapped the maize and blue for gray. Both times, there was a 'ND -0.3' next to Richard's score on the first event in which the traditional pants were required. Yet Richard wasn't as focused on the ribbon board where his score was posted, but on the young boys in the stands below them. '(I want them to) see this, and they're like, 'This is cool. I want to wear this. This kid is trying to make the sport cool, he looks cool,'' Richard said. 'And that's the stuff that gets kids into the sport, that's stuff that keeps kids in the sport.' Even if it's a largely American conversation. Fighting for relevance While the popularity of men's gymnastics in the U.S. has declined for decades (though there is optimism that the bronze medal Richard and his teammates captured at the 2024 Olympics could help stem the tide), there are no such issues overseas. They're not talking about stirrup pants in China. Or Japan. Or Russia. Places with dominant programs whose stars become champions and national heroes in the process. The challenges men's gymnastics faces in the U.S. are many. The number of Division I programs that offer it as a scholarship sport is a fraction of what it was decades ago. And the impact of the recent House settlement could make opportunities at a level that has long served as a feeder system to the U.S. national team even scarcer. At the Olympic level, the men have long competed in the shadow of the star-studded (and highly successful) women's program. Richard has long understood this. He's seen the attrition firsthand. While the uniform didn't stop him from pressing on, he believes he might be the exception, not the rule. Countless young boys dabble in multiple sports growing up, gymnastics included. Richard thinks tweaking the uniform requirements into something he considers more modern could remove what he thinks might be a roadblock to sticking with it for some. 'It does add to what makes a 12-year-old boy decide, 'Do I want to keep doing this sport? Or should I play football or soccer, because my friends think I'm cool when I play with them?' he said. The rules do allow for a little latitude. Some German female gymnasts opted for full-body unitards at each of the last two Olympics, though the design does not run afoul of FIG regulations. What Richard is doing does. Pushing the limits And while he stressed he would never wear his outlawed uniform in a team competition — he wore regulation pants while helping lead Michigan to the NCAA championship this spring — that might not be the case the next time he competes internationally. 'We'll see about the world stage,' Richard said. 'We'll have to talk and see what they allow, but I want to keep pushing it. I'm having fun. I feel more free.' He'll have some time to think about it. When the six-man roster for the 2025 World Championships was announced late Saturday night, Richard's name wasn't on it. The decision had nothing to do with Richard's uniform but the uniqueness of this year's world meet, which does not include a team event and is largely designed for event specialists. At his best, Richard is one of the top all-arounders on the planet. Yet even he admitted he was at about '80%' at nationals following a whirlwind stretch that included traveling to places like Uganda. Richard is partnering with the African nation to open a facility for boys there interested in acrobatics. The joy he felt during the trip was palpable. So has the criticism he's received back home for his uniform choice, with some telling him if he wants to look like a basketball player, maybe he should go play basketball. While Richard's modified look wouldn't look out of place on the court, pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik — who won a pair of bronze medals in Paris and became a breakout star in the process (all while wearing stirrup pants) last summer — agrees with his Olympic teammate that there 'should be a certain level of flexibility' when it comes to uniforms, though he also pointed out that having everyone wear identical outfits is designed to help the judges do their jobs. 'So like, you can't wear like super baggy clothes, obviously,' Nedoroscik said. 'But I do like there should be maybe a little bit of wiggle room.' That's all Richard says he is asking for, though it seems highly unlikely the FIG would eliminate the deduction for a uniform violation anytime soon. That is not going to stop Richard from pressing on. 'I'll wear it for the next 10 years if I have to,' he said. 'So eventually, if I keep succeeding and winning, and eventually on the international stage do the same thing and keep winning, (the FIG) will see how people like it (and) the younger kids will start wearing it … and the trend is going to grow.' ___ AP sports:
Japan Forward
7 hours ago
- Japan Forward
Roki Sasaki is Pitching 'Pain-Free' as He Prepares for Return
Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki, who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since mid-May, tossed three innings in a simulated game on August 8. Los Angeles Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki pitches during batting practice on August 8, 2025, at Dodger Stadium. (©Kirby Lee/IMAGN MAGES/via REUTERS) Roki Sasaki is moving closer to pitching in an MLB game after being sidelined for three months. The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander pitched three innings in a simulated game, aka a live batting practice session, on Friday, August 8. He threw 46 pitches at Dodger Stadium before the reigning World Series champions' game against the Minnesota Twins. Sasaki was placed on the injured list on May 13 with a right shoulder impingement. He was moved to the 60-day IL on June 20. Time off helped the 23-year-old pitcher recover from the injury. On Tuesday, August 5, Sasaki said that he's "pain-free and relieved of anxiety," Kyoto News reported. Sasaki will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday, August 14 for the Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, against the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies), it was announced on Saturday. Roki Sasaki speaks to reporters on August 5. (KYODO) In the simulated game, Sasaki's fastball topped out at 97 mph (156 kph). Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave a positive review of Sasaki's mound stint during batting practice. "He accomplished what he needed to," Roberts said, according to The Associated Press. Sasaki hasn't pitched in an MLB game since he started against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 9 in Phoenix. When he does return at a TBD date, the former Chiba Lotte Marines starter will have a new pitch in his arsenal: a two-seam fastball. "I'm intent on using them in actual games," he said, according to Kyodo News. Although the Iwate Prefecture native is listed at 6-foot-2 (188 cm) and 187 pounds (about 85 kg), Roberts said that Sasaki has recently bulked up a bit, and this has noticeably altered his pitching delivery. "He's more physical," Roberts said after Sasaki's simulated game on Friday, according to The Associated Press. "The throw wasn't as shoulder-y. It was a little bit more clean." Roki Sasaki (KYODO) The Dodgers have projected a late August return for Sasaki to pitch in an MLB game. But he's clearly taken a step in the right direction. "His fastballs and splits (split-finger fastballs) were good," Roberts said of Sasaki after Friday's live batting practice, Jiji Press reported. The manager then said, "He's reaching the level we wanted him to reach." Sasaki is 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA in eight games in his first season with the Dodgers. In 34⅓ innings, he has 24 strikeouts. He's also walked 22 batters. Indeed, he's struggled at times in his first MLB season. Sasaki recognized that he's a work in progress. "American hitters have different approaches at the plate compared to Japanese hitters, so now I can't really attack the same way that I used to in Japan," Sasaki, according to "And also at the same time, they have different strengths and weaknesses. So [I'm trying to be] able to have more variety in the way I attack the hitters." Speaking of variety, the addition of a two-seam fastball could be beneficial for him, Roberts insisted. "To have two separate fastballs, one that potentially could miss a bat [and] one that could put a ball on the ground, those are two good weapons," Roberts was quoted as saying by Before joining LA, Roki Sasaki pitched for Lotte from 2021 to 2024, famously tossing a perfect game with 19 strikeouts in April 2022. Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters starter Koki Kitayama pitches against the Saitama Seibu Lions on August 6 at Es Con Field Hokkaido. (KYODO) Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters right-hander Koki Kitayama pitched eight scoreless innings against the visiting Saitama Seibu Lions on Wednesday, August 6. Kitayama (7-3) limited the Lions to a pair of singles. He struck out five and walked one in the Fighters' 4-0 victory at Es Con Field Hokkaido. With the win, the Fighters became the first Pacific League team with 60 wins in the 2025 NPB season. In addition to his noteworthy pitching performance, Kitayama also debuted his new uniform number (15) on Wednesday. He previously wore No 57. "The fact that the manager (Tsuyoshi Shinjo) suggested it means a lot to me," Kitayama was quoted as saying by Sports Hochi . "It made me very happy, and I want to do my best to live up to it." Kitayama began his NPB career with the Fighters in 2022. Through Saturday, August 9, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (61-36-4) held a two-game lead over Nipponham (60-39-2) in the PL standings. Masami Ihara, seen playing for Yokohama F Marinos, in this December 1999 file photo. (©SANKEI) Defender Masami Ihara has been selected for induction into the Japan Football Hall of Fame. An announcement was made on Tuesday, August 5. The 57-year-old Ihara played the majority of his pro career for Yokohama F Marinos (1990-99) and had later stints with Jubilo Iwata and the Urawa Reds. He retired in 2002. During his distinguished career, Ihara was named to the Best Eleven (all-league) team six years in a row, starting with the 1991-92 Japan Soccer League campaign before the launch of the Ihara made 122 appearances for the Samurai Blue, also known as the Japan men's national team. He served as captain from 1996-99, including during Japan's first appearance in the FIFA World Cup in '98. The Japan Football Association also announced that Yasushi Suzuki, a former manager of the women's national team, and four influential players during his tenure were chosen as special selections for the Hall of Fame. Suzuki led the Japan women's team from 1989-96, including at the Atlanta Olympics, when women's soccer was held as an official tournament for the first time. The women's national team was established in 1981 and the seeds for future success were planted during Suzuki's years in charge. Most notably, Nadeshiko Japan won the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. Forward Etsuko Handa, midfielders Futaba Kioka and Asako Takakura and midfielder/forward Akemi Noda join Suzuki as 2025 Hall of Fame inductees. Takakura was the Nadeshiko Japan manager from 2016-21. The 2025 Japan Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for September 16. Shigetoshi Kotari (©SANKEI) Hiromasa Urakawa (©SANKEI) Boxers Shigetoshi Kotari and Hiromasa Urakawa passed away from brain injuries sustained during a pair of fights on the same card on August 2 at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall. Kotari, 28, was pronounced dead on Friday, August 8. A day later, Urakawa, also 28, died, according to published reports. Fighting in the main bout on the August 2 card, Kotari suffered a traumatic brain injury against Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight champion Yamato Hata in Tokyo. Shortly after the 12-round fight, which ended in a split draw, Kotari was rushed to a local hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for a brain bleed. ESPN reported that Kotari needed surgery "to treat a subdural hematoma, in which blood collects between the skull and the brain." The World Boxing Organization paid tribute to Nagoya native Kotari (8-2-2, five knockouts) in a social media post. "Rest in peace, Shigetoshi Kotari," it began. The post continued: "A warrior in the ring, a fighter in spirit. Gone too soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, team and the entire Japanese boxing community." In a clash of lightweights, Yoji Saito defeated Urakawa (10-4, seven KOs) via an eighth-round KO on the August 2 undercard. The severity of the punching damage that Urakawa sustained landed him in the hospital after the fight. He also underwent emergency brain surgery, receiving a craniotomy, which is "the surgical removal of part of the bone from the skull to expose the brain," according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine website. Urakawa needed surgery due to a subdural hematoma. "We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends and the Japanese boxing community during this incredibly difficult time," the WBO said in a statement after Urakawa's death. In November 1982, South Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim died several days after his 14th-round technical knockout loss to Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in a scheduled 15-round WBA lightweight title fight in Las Vegas. When the brutal fight was declared over, Kim was unconscious. He never awoke from his coma, dead at 27. In the aftermath of Kim's death, major world boxing governing bodies reduced fights from 15 rounds to 12. This was done in an attempt to reduce the overall damage from the sheer volume of punches. The WBC first implemented the change, as of January 1, 1983, and then the WBA and the IBF in 1987, followed by the upstart WBO in '88. Heavyweight champion Larry Holmes was not a supporter of the change. "It will cut down on injuries for a lot of fighters, but it will take away from the true champions," Holmes was quoted as saying by The Associated Press in December 1982. "A true champion can go 15 rounds." The Japan Boxing Commission has announced that future OPBF-sanctioned fights in Japan will be 10 rounds instead of 12. Ryukyu Golden Kings center Jack Cooley in a May 2024 file photo. ( Veteran center Jack Cooley, who has played for the Ryukyu Golden Kings since 2019, will compete for the United States men's national team squad at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup. The 12-national quadrennial tournament, which represents the entire Western Hemisphere, tips off on August 22 in Managua, Nicaragua. It runs through August 31 in the Nicaraguan capital. "I am very excited to be able to play for Team USA in the AmeriCup," Cooley said in a statement. "Any opportunity to play for your home country is an honor and it has been a dream of mine to wear a USA jersey." He added, "I am going to use this opportunity to focus my attention and effort so I can be ready for the 2025-26 season. I am always looking for new ways to help improve myself so I can continue to bring success to Okinawa." FIBA Asia Cup: Japan Hammers Syria in the Teams' Opener Trainer Haruki Sugiyama in a May 2025 file photo. (©SANKEI) Trainer Haruki Sugiyama is first among Japan Racing Association trainers in victories during the 2025 racing season, according to updated statistics on August 8. Sugiyama's entrants have won 34 races. Takashi Saito is second with 30 wins, while Yoshito Yahagi and Mitsumasa Nakauchida have 29 apiece. Yasuo Tomomichi rounds out the top five with 26 victories. Of the five trainers, Yahagi's thoroughbreds have participated in the most races (314). Japan's next big horse racing event is the 2025 World All-Star Jockeys, a series of four high-profile races set for August 23-24 at Sapporo Racecourse. Six overseas-based jockeys were invited to participate: Alexis Badel (who rides regularly in Hong Kong), Francisco Goncalves (Argentina), Thore Hammer Hansen (Germany), Karis Teetan (Hong Kong), Cristian Torres (United States) and Craig Williams (Australia). Naomi Osaka competes in the National Bank Open women's singles final against Victoria Mboko on August 7 in Montreal, Canada. (KYODO) ―Tennis player Naomi Osaka , assessing her performance in the National Bank Open and working with new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. Osaka made it to the final, but lost to Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko on August 7. ― Miyuu Yamashita , on winning the Women's British Open, her first title on the LPGA Tour, on August 3. Miyuu Yamashita Stands Tall as She Tops Women's British Open Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
