Current:Home > Contact-usUS Open: Cyberbullying remains a problem in tennis. One player called it out on social media-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
US Open: Cyberbullying remains a problem in tennis. One player called it out on social media
View Date:2024-12-23 14:07:38
NEW YORK (AP) — Caroline Garcia, a U.S. Open semifinalist two years ago, drew attention Wednesday to the ever-present problem of cyberbullying in tennis, particularly by people who bet on matches, after her first-round loss at the Grand Slam tournament.
“Maybe you can think that it doesn’t hurt us. But it does. We are humans,” Garcia wrote on social media. “And sometimes, when we receive (these) messages, we are already emotionally destroyed after a tough loss. And they can be damaging. Many before me have raised the subject. And still, no progress has been made.”
Garcia, a 30-year-old from France who has been ranked as high as No. 4, was seeded 28th at Flushing Meadows but was eliminated by Renata Zarazúa 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday. Zarazúa is ranked 92nd and is making her U.S. Open debut.
Garcia offered examples of “just a few” of the hundreds of messages she said she was sent after losing recent matches, including one telling her she should consider suicide and another that read, “I hope your mom dies soon.”
“And now, being 30 years old, although they still hurt, because at the end of the day, I’m just a normal girl working really hard and trying my best, I have tools and have done work to protect myself from this hate. But still, this is not OK,” Garcia wrote. “It really worries me when I think about younger players coming up, that have to go through this. People that still haven’t yet developed fully as a human and that really might be affected by this hate.”
As other players have mentioned in the past, she talked about the issue of being attacked verbally by gamblers upset about losing money.
“Tournaments and the sport keeps partnering with betting companies, which keep attracting new people to unhealthy betting,” Garcia said. “The days of cigarette brands sponsoring sports are long gone. Yet, here we are promoting betting companies, which actively destroy the life of some people.”
This sort of harassment via social media is nothing new, of course, and it’s not new to tennis.
Players have called it out in the past, and Grand Slam tournaments have been trying to help prevent messages from reaching the athletes.
The French Open partnered in 2022 with a company that uses artificial intelligence to filter players’ social media accounts, and the groups that run the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the women’s tour and the lower-level ITF Tour announced in December they were starting a service to monitor for “abusive and threatening content” on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.
“Many before me have raised the subject,” Garcia said. “And still, no progress has been made. Social media platforms don’t prevent it, despite AI being in a very advanced position.”
She closed her message by addressing anyone reading it, suggesting that “next time you see a post from an athlete, singer or any other person, that has failed or lost, you will remember that she or he is also a human being, trying his best in life. Be kind. Give love. Enjoy life.”
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
veryGood! (8)
Related
- The results are in: Peanut the Squirrel did not have rabies, county official says
- Philadelphia Phillies unveil new City Connect jerseys
- Lawmakers criticize a big pay raise for themselves before passing a big spending bill
- What's next for Chiefs in stadium funding push? Pivot needed after fans reject tax measure
- Incredible animal moments: Watch farmer miraculously revive ailing chick, doctor saves shelter dogs
- 'Ambitious' plan to reopen channel under collapsed Baltimore bridge by May's end announced
- Black student group at private Missouri college rallies after report of students using racial slurs
- 3 people killed in crash of small plane in southeastern Oklahoma, authorities say
- 'Treacherous conditions' in NYC: Firefighters battling record number of brush fires
- What Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello Are Each Getting in Their Divorce
Ranking
- Democrat George Whitesides wins election to US House, beating incumbent Mike Garcia
- GA judge rejects Trump's attempt to dismiss charges | The Excerpt
- Timeline of events: Kansas women still missing, police suspect foul play
- Oatzempic craze: Should you try the oat drink for weight loss? Experts weigh in.
- Trump announces Tom Homan, former director of immigration enforcement, will serve as ‘border czar’
- 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattles NYC, New Jersey: Live updates
- 'Ambitious' plan to reopen channel under collapsed Baltimore bridge by May's end announced
- A sweltering summer may be on the way. Will Americans be able to afford AC to keep cool?
Recommendation
-
After years of unrest, Commanders have reinvented their culture and shattered expectations
-
Only Julia Fox Could Make Hair Extension Shoes Look Fabulous
-
California-based 99 Cents Only Stores is closing down, citing COVID, inflation and product theft
-
Man shot by police spurs chase through 2 states after stealing cruiser
-
Shaboozey to headline halftime show of Lions-Bears game on Thanksgiving
-
Lawmakers criticize a big pay raise for themselves before passing a big spending bill
-
Christian Combs, Diddy's son, accused of sexual assault in new lawsuit: Reports
-
Former tribal leader in South Dakota convicted of defrauding tribe