Jordan Thompson (pictured) had to deal with a heckling bettor during a match this week. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Gambling is becoming a growing issue in American sports, with players in the NBA, the MLB, and other leagues already complaining of abuse from aggrieved bettors. The latest victim of this behavior was Australian tennis pro Jordan Thompson, who competed against Ugo Humbert at the Cincinnati Open this week.
The heckler supposedly had a bet on Humbert
Thompson ultimately beat Frenchman Humbert 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Tuesday, but he had to deal with a heckler throughout the match. The man supposedly had a bet on Humbert, and was doing his best to disturb Thompson so that he could secure the win, much to the annoyance of the tennis pro and fans in attendance.
One X user, called J-Rube, shared a running commentary of the incident:
Despite Thompson speaking with officials several times about the man, he was able to remain in the arena for the entire match. J-Rube said that he could see the man’s phone and he looked to be “placing bets on draftkings” throughout.
In one instance, the man supposedly shouted “I want to see Nick Kyrgios, not Jordan Thompson,” referring to Thompson’s fellow countryman. “Still he has not been removed from the stadium,” J-Rube wrote. He claims that this actually united fans in Thompson’s favor though, “simply with the shared annoyance of this gambler man.”
Thompson will play Argentinian Sebastian Baez in the Round of 32 of the Open on Wednesday.
