Growing concern over online abuse directed at tennis players by angry bettors has prompted the sport\u2019s authorities to call for action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This form of online aggression is mostly being aimed at women, with top female players such as Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek, Katie Boulter, Ons Jabeur and Jessica Pegula <\/strong>bearing the brunt of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A joint report from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women\u2019s Tennis Association (WTA)<\/strong> revealed that a total of 458 female players <\/strong>received abusive messages in the past year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The study, which used an AI detection system created by Signify Group<\/strong>, also found that frustrated gamblers accounted for 40% <\/strong>of social media abuse. When it came to abuse directed towards the personal accounts of players, this rose to 77%.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result of this, the authorities are asking gambling companies to close the accounts of bettors who have been a part of this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2024, the pair teamed up with The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and United States Tennis Association (USTA) <\/strong>and reported a total of 12,000 abusive posts \/ comments<\/strong>. 15 of these accounts were reported to law enforcement<\/strong> which resulted in over 8,000 players<\/strong> being protected. The problem will likely remain persistent, however, given how central social media is in today\u2019s world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking on the issue, a spokesperson from the UKGC<\/strong> told SBC News<\/strong>: \u201cOur legislation gives us powers to regulate the actions of gambling operators. Unless there is an offence under the Gambling Act we don\u2019t have the power to take action against individual gamblers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe would urge any sportsperson to report messages of abuse to the relevant sports body or, if relevant, to law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to The Guardian<\/strong>, FanDuel<\/strong> – WTA\u2019s official US gaming partner and the biggest operator in the American betting sector by market share – has been working on its definition of harassment and updated its terms and conditions to allow for the suspension of users who target athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company warned in a recent email to its customers: \u201cWe may, in our sole discretion, suspend or terminate your Account and\/or exclude you from our services if we determine that you pose a threat to the safety of participants in a sporting event, or discover that you engaged in the harassment of a sports official, coach or any participant in a sporting event.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2023, a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)<\/strong> report revealed that women are the primary targets of online hate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, last year a study from Cornell University UK<\/strong> survey found that women are significantly more fearful of online harms, and also report more significant psychological impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women who have a public presence online, whether in social media, sports, or the media, have often become targets of online abuse, especially in male-dominated sports, because their visibility challenges traditional gender roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Current British number two, 28-year-old Katie Boulter<\/strong>, recently spoke up about the abuse she has personally received, leading to the above-mentioned statements by the WTA and ITF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n