KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – Professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki said fans threatened her family at the Miami Open Friday and the staff there did not intervene.
"Last night people in the crowd threatened my family, wished death upon my mom and dad, called me names that I can't repeat here and told my fiance's niece and nephew (who are 10 years old) to sit down and shut the [expletive] up," Wozniacki said. "Meanwhile security and staff did nothing to prevent this and even accepted this to take place."
Monica Puig of Puerto Rico upset Wozniack, the second-ranked woman in the world, in the second round of the Miami Open Friday.
"While I always encourage fans to cheer for their favorite player, and I thrive on a challenging atmosphere, when certain lines are crossed, it makes tennis miserable for both competitors," said Wozniacki of Denmark.
James Blake, director of the Miami Open Tournament, said staff members weren't told about any threats, and if they had, it would have been addressed.
"The security of the players is our No. 1 priority," Blake said. "During the match, we had tournament and (Women's Tennis Association) staff as well as tournament security court side. They never witnessed, nor were they notified of any specific threats made to the players or their families."