Spanish tennis player Nikolas Sánchez Izquierdo (world No. 279) has reported receiving threats to lose his second-round match at the Challenger 125 in Rosario. According to the Argentine News Agency, the 26-year-old player started his match 1 hour and 55 minutes later than scheduled, behind closed doors and with a police presence. Under these circumstances, he lost in straight sets to the Argentine Valerio Aboian, and after the defeat, he did not participate in the doubles tournament, returning quickly to his country. A sad and unusual incident occurred at the Rosario Challenger, with Spanish player Sánchez Izquierdo receiving threats. They were made by a bettor who threatened him and his family if he did not lose his match against Aboian. Thus, the Spaniard alerted the authorities, and the standard protocol for such cases was activated. His match started almost two hours after the scheduled time, a situation that caught the attention of spectators, who still did not know what had happened. Additionally, the audience present in the only grandstand of court 1 was asked to leave so that the match could be played behind closed doors with a significant police presence. After losing his second-round match 7-5, 6-4 to an Argentine who is having a great week, the Spaniard immediately left the club, abandoning his participation in the doubles tournament. Thus, Sánchez Izquierdo quickly began his journey back to the country, leaving the investigation in the hands of the Justice and the tournament authorities.
