Gamblers
are behind 48% of the 12,000 hateful posts on social media linked to tennis
players, according to an AI-based study involving major tennis organisations.
Players like Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and Caroline Garcia have openly addressed
the alarming abuse they face online.

The
International Tennis Federation (ITF), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), All
England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), and the United States Tennis Association
(USTA) collaborated to closely monitor social media platforms like X, Facebook,
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

From
January to October 2024, the “Threat Matrix” service analysed over
2.4 million social media posts, identifying 12,000 that violated community
guidelines due to abusive or hateful content targeting players.

The study’s
findings were shared with social media platforms to enforce sanctions ranging
from post removals to account suspensions in severe cases. National law
enforcement agencies were also provided with evidence to take legal action.

Two-time
Grand Slam champion and WTA Player Council member Victoria Azarenka praised the
initiative for creating a “healthier online environment.” The former world No.
1 stated:

“It
was essential for the WTA and these partner organisations to take meaningful
steps toward filtering, blocking, and reporting hateful and harmful comments.
No-one should have to endure the hate that so many of us have faced through
these platforms.”

Jonathan
Hirshler, CEO of Signify Group, which manages Threat Matrix, remarked: “We
are extremely pleased to have helped close down a considerable number of
prolific abusive accounts and identified clear drivers for abuse, including a
large number of angry gamblers.”

The system
monitored all players competing in the main draws and qualifiers of Wimbledon
and the US Open. It operates in 39 languages, protecting over 7,739 ITF Tour
players and 563 WTA Tour players.