Coco Gauff spoke out against online harassment that tennis players receive virtually after every match they play.
Unfortunately, online harassment is very common in sports, especially in tennis, as players receive messages after every match, regardless of whether they win or lose.
It wasn’t as bad in the past, but with the rise of the internet and increased accessibility, things have escalated significantly. The situation worsened with the involvement of betting, as people tend to become very emotional when they lose money.
The anger is, of course, misdirected because they should be looking inward for blame rather than at the players, who are simply doing their job by playing tennis.
Players receive all sorts of messages on social media almost daily, and Gauff is no different. After her most recent match at the 2024 US Open, she was asked how she handles this aspect of being a professional athlete—something none of them signed up for. Unfortunately, they don’t really have a choice.
"Obviously it's tough. Especially when I was younger, I had no idea that this was a thing. I just thought at first like I was being targeted. Then I realized everybody was getting it."
"It's tough because you hear a lot of nasty things, and people, like, talk about your appearance, your family's appearance, and all these things."
Blocking people is certainly one way of handling the issue because, ultimately, the athletes have to protect themselves. The Tours haven’t done a great job safeguarding the players, but there’s only so much they can do.
After all, being on social media platforms is optional, which also applies to the players. It's simply part of being an athlete, and Gauff has found a way to manage it to the best of her ability.
"If you are already struggling with your own mental issues and on top of that you have people digging deeper, it is tough. I personally just block. I'm someone, I will literally spend 30 minutes blocking all the people."
"I really don't care. I know it's a little, small thing on Twitter because I was blocking so many people. They are, like, ‘You say anything, and she blocks.’ Yes, I do. I don't want to see it, so bye."
There have been efforts by events to combat this issue through software, but a truly effective solution has yet to be found. Gauff remains hopeful that most players are managing it well because it's a crucial matter.
"So, yeah, it was a thing. People got mad. I was, like, I don't really care. I'm not entitled to read negative things about myself. Just as you're entitled to write that, I'm entitled to block it. It is unfortunate. Obviously the block can only do so much. People make new accounts."
Mental health in athletes was once a taboo topic, but today, many athletes openly discuss it. It's incredibly important as it can have a profound effect on the career, and Caroline Garcia was one of the latest players to speak out, which was one of the reasons why the 20-year-old American was asked the question.
"I really hope that players just continue to not look at it and especially Caroline. She's a super nice girl. It sucks, but I hope people -- I mean, I always say people can be more mindful and be kinder, but you know, millions of people have said that, and only a few listen. Hopefully the Al stuff can help in the future."
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