Nikolas Sanchez faces terrifying kidnap and murder threat before Argentina Challenger match, forced to play under heavy security

The darker side of professional tennis is back in the spotlight and this time, Spanish player Nikolas Sanchez has revealed he was threatened with kidnap and murder if he refused to deliberately lose a match at the ATP Challenger event in Rosario, Argentina. The story, now going viral across tennis news platforms and social media, has sparked serious conversations about player safety on the ATP Tour and the growing issue of gambling pressure. Sanchez, ranked world No. 275, was preparing for his round-of-16 match earlier this month when his phone buzzed with a message that would change everything. What initially felt like a strange prank quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal when the sender shared his family’s full names, home address and even his ID number. Suddenly, this was no joke. It was a real threat.

Inside the terrifying message that forced him to fear for his family

Speaking to Punto de Break, Sanchez detailed how it unfolded. He said, "An hour and forty minutes before the match, at 3.18 pm, I received a message asking me if I was Nikolas. It was from an unknown number. I said yes and three minutes later, they wrote again. "They told me they had located my family and wrote me their full names, both my parents' and my brother's. They wrote me the exact family address: street, building, floor and door. They invited me to secretly lose the match I was going to play but warned me not to say anything, otherwise my family would be kidnapped and I would suffer serious consequences. How did they get my phone number? This has never happened to me before, which is what's worrying, that they also knew my ID number. They tell me that if I don't comply with their demands, I won't get out of there alive."
He went on to add, "I look around and search for someone who is laughing, thinking it's a joke. The second thing I do is look for someone I don't know in the area, mainly because I fear something serious will happen to me if I don't follow the instructions. Within a few minutes, I rule out that it's a joke... basically because, if it weren't and then what they say actually happened, I could never forgive myself. My family suffering because of a tennis match? This cannot happen under any circumstances."
Sanchez immediately informed his coach, who alerted authorities. He was placed in isolation in the players’ area for three hours before eventually competing behind closed doors under maximum security. Despite the emotional weight, he stepped on court and lost 7-5 6-4. He later admitted he considered pulling out but could not afford to forfeit ranking points and prize money. He explained, "I was contacting my family to make sure they were okay but without conveying the fear I felt inside, as there was no point in calling them in tears. I tried to locate them first, call them home and ask them not to go out for a walk or anything like that. With no experience in such a situation, we all did the best we could. The tournament director was incredible, providing me with maximum security at all times. Those were moments of anguish and great fear."
Narrating his fear, he continued, "Could there be someone in the doorway of my building? My brother is coming back from the gym. Could there be someone following him? The match is no longer a priority; I'm even considering not playing. At this time of year, all players tend to receive horrible messages. In the end, you put up with everything that comes your way until one day this happens. My intention now is to draw a line of zero tolerance, hire a solicitor and spend money on these resources, and react immediately to the first message. They must pay for what they have done; I see no other solution."
Sanchez broke down in tears after the match. He flew home to Spain the next morning and plans to change his phone number, though relocating is financially out of reach. Authorities are investigating as he prepares to compete again in Argentina this week.


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