Dhaka, June 18 -- British Number Two Katie Boulter has received death threats to herself and members of her family after matches as players are increasingly subjected to online abuse through direct messages.

Gamblers are responsible for 40 percent of detected abuse, according to a survey undertaken by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) published on Tuesday.

Boulter, 28, shared her experiences in an interview with the BBC. The world number 39 received messages that read: "Hope you get cancer", "Candles and a coffin for your entire family", and "Go to hell, I lost money my mother sent me".

"I just wonder who the person is that has sent that," Boulter said looking at the "hope you get cancer" me...