Slinging Slurs and Showing Scorn: A Peek into Betting-Fueled Hate in Tennis
"Wishing for someone's tumor development"
Diving into the murky depths of the cyber world, online abuse in professional tennis isn't just a nuisance, it's a menacing issue. The connection between bets and this nasty phenomena has come under harsh scrutiny, with a British player shedding light on the problem. Previously, German star Eva Lys also voiced her concerns.
28-year-old Katie Boulter, a British tennis player, revealed a string of disturbing messages she'd received on social media. One such chilling note read, "Hopefully you get cancer." There were also violent threats against her and her family. Boulter is speaking up because such vile and threatening communiqués have, unfortunately, become the norm. "Every time I pick up my phone, it gets clearer," she told BBC.
The digital minefield leaves Boulter questioning the line between reality and danger. "I suspect these senders are people who've bet money on my matches," she said. "You don't want to read something like that straight after an emotional loss. But I even get similar messages after victories."
Not Alone on the Court
Recent incidents involving stalking have created ripples in the tennis world. Former world number one Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Emma Raducanu have stirred up discussions with their encounters. Hamburg native Eva Lys, a quarterfinalist in the Australian Open, also previously spoke about the hate messages she's faced on the interwebs, labeling it "the reality of a tennis player."
The intensity of these attacks has surged with her rising fame. "Because more people have become aware of me, and my matches are broadcast more often, it has actually increased," she told the "Tagesspiegel." "I think it's crucial to keep talking about it - in the hope that it will decline someday."
In an attempt to shield players from this digital scourge, the WTA took a technological step last year, collaborating with other organizations to deploy artificial intelligence to filter out offending messages. Roughly 12,000 posts violating the rules were discovered between January and October 2024, with 15 accounts being handed over to national law enforcement agencies for further investigation.
Sources: ntv.de, tno/dpa
Interesting Tidbits:
- Online Abuse Statistics: Roughly 40% of online abuse directed at tennis players is attributed to angry gamblers who've experienced losses[2][5].
- The Threat Matrix service developed by the UK-based tech company Signify Group monitors and analyzes online threats, helping to identify and document abusive content[1][3].
- The gambling industry is being called upon to take concrete action against betting-related abuse, a stance supported by tennis players like Jessica Pegula[2].
- The disturbing messages Katie Boulter received on social media, including threats like "Hopefully you get cancer," are a clear example of the hate comments that plague sports, specifically tennis, in the online world.
- The WTA, in an effort to combat online abuse in tennis, has collaborated with other organizations to deploy artificial intelligence to filter out offending messages, a move that has led to the detection of approximately 12,000 posts violating rules between January and October 2024.
