Garcia calls out on-line abuse after US Open loss

NEW YORK — Caroline Garcia, a US Open semifinalist in 2022, on Wednesday shared a number of the derogatory on-line messages she has obtained following latest losses and pointed to “unhealthy betting” as one of many causes gamers are focused on social media.

Garcia, a 30-year-old from France who has been ranked as excessive as No. 4, was seeded twenty eighth at Flushing Meadows however was eradicated by Renata Zarazúa 6-1, 6-4 within the first spherical Tuesday. Zarazúa is ranked 92nd and is making her US Open debut.

Garcia, in a lengthy post on X, wrote concerning the “a whole lot” of such messages directed her means and supplied examples of “just some,” together with one telling her she ought to contemplate suicide and one other that learn, “I hope your mother dies quickly.”

“And now, being 30 years previous, though they nonetheless damage, as a result of on the finish of the day, I am only a regular lady working actually onerous and making an attempt my finest, I’ve instruments and have executed work to guard myself from this hate. However nonetheless, this isn’t OK,” Garcia wrote. “It actually worries me once I take into consideration youthful gamers developing, that must undergo this. Individuals that also have not but developed totally as a human and that actually may be affected by this hate.”

In her submit, Garcia additionally raised the difficulty of the game and tournaments partnering with betting firms and speculated on whether or not that has contributed to an increase in such habits.

“Tournaments and the game retains partnering with betting firms, which maintain attracting new folks to unhealthy betting,” Garcia famous. “The times of cigarette manufacturers sponsoring sports activities are lengthy gone. But, right here we’re selling betting firms, which actively destroy the lifetime of some folks.”

She continued, “Do not get me flawed, I am not saying they need to be banned as individuals are free to do no matter they need with their cash. However perhaps we should always not promote them. Additionally, if somebody determined to say this issues to me in public, he might have authorized points. So why on-line we’re free to do something? Should not we rethink anonymity on-line?”

Gamers have known as out social media harassment prior to now, and Grand Slam tournaments have been making an attempt to assist stop messages from reaching the athletes.

The French Open partnered in 2022 with an organization that makes use of synthetic intelligence to filter gamers’ social media accounts, and the teams that run the US Open, Wimbledon, the ladies’s tour and the lower-level ITF Tour introduced in December that they have been beginning a service to watch for “abusive and threatening content material” on X, Instagram, YouTube, Fb and TikTok.

“Many earlier than me have raised the topic,” Garcia stated. “And nonetheless, no progress has been made. Social media platforms do not stop it, regardless of AI being in a really superior place.”

She ended her submit with a reminder that athletes, and others within the public eye, are human. “I do know those that write these horrible messages will not change due to this. However perhaps you, subsequent time you see a submit from an athlete, singer or another particular person, that has failed or misplaced, you’ll do not forget that he or she can be a human being, making an attempt his finest in life.”

Garcia’s message was met with nearly rapid help from her friends, including Madison Keys, Katie Boulter and Paula Badosa.

Jessica Pegula, ranked No. 6, agreed with Garcia’s sentiment and shared her personal expertise.

“The fixed loss of life threats and household threats are regular now,” Pegula wrote in response to Garcia. “Win or lose.”

Info from The Related Press and Reuters was included on this report.