Social media firms urged for effective measures to prevent online harassment by user Coco Gauff.
Coco Gauff, the world's second-ranked female tennis phenom, has asserted that social media platforms need to step up their efforts to tackle online harassment and abuse, deeming the comments she receives as "disgusting."
On Tuesday, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) released a damning report on the rampant abuse aimed at players online. The report highlighted that a significant portion of the abuse stemmed from frustrated bettors, leading to 15 cases so severe that law enforcement was involved.
Data-driven insights from tech company Signify Group, gathered via AI, revealed approximately 8,000 abusive, violent, or threatening comments targeted at 458 players in 2024. The majority of this abuse was directed at just five players.
Addressing reporters at the German Open in Berlin, Gauff articulated her thoughts, saying, "It goes beyond ordinary trolling. We're talking about death threats, targeting family members, racial slurs—horrible things. I've had people send these comments to my boyfriend, friends, and even try contacting them directly. The disgusting stuff that festers within tennis is troubling."
Requests to Gambling Industries and Social Media Companies
In their report, jointly published with the International Tennis Federation, the WTA appealed to the gambling industry to take decisive action against those responsible for the online abuse.
However, Gauff didn't shy away from underscoring the importance of social media platforms' involvement.
"It's crucial that we keep shedding light on this issue," she added. "The social media platforms must get involved, not just for the sake of tennis players but for influencers, athletes of every sport, and every user. The WTA is making strides to safeguard us, but I believe that these platforms need to contribute as well."
When asked by our website whether she anticipated any tangible changes, Gauff said, "I'm hopeful that they can."
"I feel like TikTok does a better job of filtering comments, so it's less common to see it there," she continued. "But Instagram has room for improvement. The filtering system needs to be more robust and adaptive. Sometimes, people get creative with words and phrase things in different ways, making it difficult for algorithms to detect potentially offensive content."
The Blurring Lines Between Virtual and Physical Threats
Reports circulated on Tuesday that a man accused of stalking British tennis star Emma Raducanu was denied access to Wimbledon, the forthcoming Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Although she never encountered any direct life-threatening situations, Gauff admitted that someone attempted to follow her home once. At the German Open, security guards were stationed behind the players’ benches on court, and remained present during Gauff's press conference.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old shared that she accepted an apology from Aryna Sabalenka, the current world No. 1 tennis player, after Sabalenka's comments following her loss to Gauff in the French Open final earlier this month. Sabalenka stated that Gauff won not because she played exceptionally well, but because Sabalenka herself made numerous errors—a nod to her 70 unforced errors in the final.
"She reached out to me a couple days after the match, sending an apology for her comments," Gauff confirmed. "I understood that things could get heated in the moment, and that certain sentiments might have been expressed in the heat of competition. Her outreach was much appreciated."
- The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) appealed to the international gambling industry to take action against online abuse originating from frustrated bettors.
- Coco Gauff emphasized the significance of social media platforms' involvement in addressing online harassment and abuse, stating that the WTA cannot solve the problem alone.
- Gauff observed that TikTok has a better comment filtering system compared to Instagram, suggesting the latter needs improvements.
- In a separate incident, a man was denied access to Wimbledon due to stalking allegations against British tennis star Emma Raducanu, highlighting the blurring lines between virtual and physical threats in the world of sports.
