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Two women’s tennis players detail threatening messages ordering to lose matches

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Two women’s tennis players were sent threatening messages, each receiving a photo of a gun and being ordered to lose matches.

Panna Udvardy and Lucrezia Stefanini detailed the disturbing messages in which they and their families were threatened.

“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,” Udvardy posted on Instagram, along with screenshots of the messages, regarding her match against Anhelina Kalinina at the Megasaray Hotels Open, which she lost in two sets.

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Lucrezia Stefanini and Panna Udvardy

Lucrezia Stefanini and Panna Udvardy both received threatening messages, ordering them to lose recent tennis matches. (Flaviu Buboi, Robert Prangevia Getty Images)

“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.”

The message Udvardy received said the culprit or culprits “know everything about your family and you” and were “ready for war if necessary, and we won’t hesitate to send them to your mother’s house to kidnap her until she returns the money we would lose because of your disobedience.”

Udvardy said she contacted the Women’s Tennis Association, and three additional police officers were sent to her match “which I’m extremely grateful for.” Police also went to her parents and grandmother’s homes, she added.

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Panna Udvardy

Panna Udvardy of Hungary in action against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the Women’s Singles first round match on Day 2 of the French Open at Roland Garros on May 27, 2024, in Paris, France.   (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The message Stefanini received was eerily similar.

“I received a WhatsApp message in which I was threatened over winning yesterday’s match. They threatened me and my family and named my parents, the place where I was born, and they sent me a photo of a gun,” Stefanini said in an Instagram post of her own. 

Stefanini, too, told the WTA about the situation, and she also received boosted security.

“I’m making this video and explaining what happened because I don’t think it’s right to put me under this pressure and unease before a match,” Stefanini said.

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Lucrezia Stefanini

Lucrezia Stefanini of Italy in action during day one of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz 2024 on Jan. 28, 2024, in Linz, Austria. (Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images for MatchMaker)

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Udvardy said the messages are “not normal.”

“Even as athletes or public figures, it’s not acceptable to receive threats against our families, especially not on our private phone numbers and alongside disturbing images. We should not normalize abuse like this in sport.”

Stefanini lost her Indian Wells qualifying match in three sets.

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3 Current/former stars who made their AEW debut at Revolution PPV

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AEW Revolution is the next pay-per-view for All Elite Wrestling this year in its programming. Tony Khan has been doing an incredible job of building the show into one of the company’s most important stops. Therefore, fans have significant hype for the event. The show takes place in March, around the spring season every year. It also marks the beginning of the build of AEW’s biggest shows of the year, Dynasty and All In.

Therefore, by bringing top stars on this pay-per-view, Tony Khan can propel them on big storylines later on. While it is unclear who will return or make their debut at Revolution this time, over the years, Revolution has proven to be a big stage for All Elite Wrestling, where many big stars have made their debut.

In this article, let’s take a look at 3 current/former stars who made their AEW debut at Revolution PPV:

#3. Ethan Page

Ethan Page has been working in WWE on the NXT brand for the past few years. But Page has also been in AEW, and he made his debut for the promotion at Revolution 2021. It was an iconic moment that made a lot of buzz all over social media. During the show, AEW announced a 6-Man Face of the Revolution ladder match for a future AEW TNT Championship match that featured stars like Cody Rhodes and Penta.

However, Tony Khan kept the identity of the sixth participant of the match a mystery until the date of the show. At Revolution 2021, Page appeared at All Elite Wrestling for the first time with his All Ego persona. The former IMPACT star received a loud reaction from the fans sitting in the arena, making it a positive debut. While Page failed to win the ladder match, he made a solid impact on the show.

#2. Christian Cage

Christian Cage has been one of the biggest signings of All Elite Wrestling since its inception. Interestingly, Cage made his debut with the company at Revolution pay-per-view in the year 2021. Leading up to the event, Paul Wight announced that a “Hall of Fame-worthy” star will sign his All Elite Wrestling contract at Revolution. There was massive hype among the fans for this one, and when it was revealed, fans were in a frenzy.

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The Patriarch simply walked out of the curtain with a classy smile to reveal himself as the Hall of Fame-worthy signing. A contract was at the stage, and Christian Cage did not waste any time signing the paper for a multi-year contract. Then the former WWE star walked into the ring to greet the fans. It was an iconic moment in AEW history that certainly changed the landscape of the company.

#1. Swerve Strickland made his debut at AEW Revolution

Swerve Strickland is inarguably the most decorated star in the company. The Mogul also made his debut with the company at Revolution pay-per-view in the year 2022. At the event, Tony Schiavone announced The New Flavor on the stage as an All Elite superstar. The Realest then made his first entrance in the company with a stern look before signing his multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling.

Strickland came from a decent run with WWE back then, and his debut in All Elite Wrestling looked pretty promising. Revolution 2022 marked the beginning of a generational run in pro-wrestling for The Mogul. From there, Strickland went on to become an AEW World Champion and shared the ring with top stars like Hangman Page and Bryan Danielson.