Source : ABC NEWS
British tennis player Katie Boulter has told the BBC she received death threats targeting her and her family during the French Open, saying in an interview that online abuse has become the norm and that she is worried about the impact it will have on younger players.
The British number two added that the abuse extends to matches played by her fiance, Australian Alex de Minaur.
Boulter, who is 28 years old and ranked number 39 in the WTA, said she believes many of the abusive messages are sent by people who are placing bets on tennis matches.
The messages threatening her loved ones was sent during her French Open first-round match against Carole Monnet on May 29.
After losing the first-set tie-break, Boulter won the match 6-7 (4), 6-1. 6-1.
But the loss of the tiebreaker prompted the outrage.
“Hope you get cancer,” said one message, while another mentioned damaging her “grandmother’s grave if she’s not dead by tomorrow” and “candles and a coffin for your entire family”. A third said: “Go to hell, I lost money my mother sent me.”
Boulter, who shared with the BBC screenshots of the messages and revealed that she also gets sent explicit pictures, said she is worried about the toll the widespread abuse takes on younger players.
“At the very start of my career, it’s probably something I took very personally … getting comments about the way you look,” she said.
“It becomes more apparent every single time you go on your phone.
“I think it increases in number and it also increases in the level of things that people say. I don’t think there’s anything off the cards now.”
Emma Raducanu, left, was threatened by a fan earlier in the season. (AP Photo: Joanna Chan)
Many other players have previously reported online abuse, while Boulter’s British compatriot Emma Raducanu was recently reduced to tears after a man displaying “fixated behaviour” towards her was removed from courtside at the Dubai International.
“I think it just kind of shows how vulnerable we are,” Boulter said.
“You really don’t know if this person is on site. You really don’t know if they’re nearby or if they know where you live or anything like that.”
In a bid to try to protect athletes from that sort of abuse, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), All England Lawn Tennis Club and United States Tennis Association in 2023 launched the Threat Matrix.
The program monitors public-facing social accounts for abusive and threatening content on social networks. It also provides support for players.
Despite years of reporting online abuse, Boulter said the volume has become overwhelming — and her concern now lies with protecting those coming up behind her.
“I think that by the end of where I am right now, I think there is just too many to almost do that,” she said.
“As a tennis player, I just want to see and protect some of the younger players that come through and try to find a way around this whole situation.”
According to statistics provided to the BBC by data science firm Signify, the ITF and WTA, about 8,000 abusive, violent or threatening messages were sent publicly to 458 tennis players through their social media accounts in 2024.
Boulter, who received abuse after wins as well as losses, said a lot of it comes from people who have placed bets on her matches.
“As far as death threats, it’s just not something you want to be reading straight after an emotional loss,” she said.
“A lot of the time you get it after you win as well.”
Katie Boulter lost to Madison Keys in the second round of the French Open. (AP Photo: Thibault Camus)
According to Signify, angry gamblers sent 40 per cent of all detected abuse, with messages clearly related to betting activity because of the timing or content of the abuse.
The ITF and WTA released a statement urging the gambling industry to address abuse linked to gambling.
“Protecting players and the wider tennis family from vile online threat and abuse is a key priority for us,” a spokesperson for the WTA and ITF said.
“From law enforcement escalation and platform intervention to banning abusers from our events, perpetrators must understand that they will face consequences for their actions.
“Given the clear evidence highlighted by Threat Matrix on the link between angry gamblers and prolific online abuse and threat, we are calling for a constructive dialogue with the gambling industry to help tackle this issue.
“Everyone — betting operators, social media platforms, governing bodies, players and law enforcers — has a responsibility to make the online space a safer and more positive one.”
Jessica Pegula, a member of the WTA Players’ Council, said that online abuse is “unacceptable”.
“I welcome the work that the WTA and ITF are doing with Threat Matrix to identify and take action against the abusers, whose behaviour is so often linked to gambling. But it’s not enough on its own.
“It’s time for the gambling industry and social media companies to tackle the problem at its source and act to protect everyone facing these threats.”
Boulter said she is getting ready for the level of abuse to increase when she plays at Wimbledon, her home grand slam. The grass-court tournament starts June 30.
AP/ABC
