Katie Boulter Exposes Stark Reality of Online Abuse in Tennis

British tennis ace Katie Boulter recently disclosed to the BBC the shocking reality of receiving death threats targeting both her and her family during the prestigious French Open. The 28-year-old athlete highlighted that such online abuse is sadly becoming commonplace and expressed her concern regarding its impact on younger players.

Ranked No. 39 in the WTA, Boulter suspects that the bulk of these threatening messages come from agitated gamblers. These messages, filled with vitriol and threats against her loved ones, were sent after she competed against Carole Monnet on May 29, where despite winning, she lost the first-set tie-break.

The Women's Tennis Association, alongside the International Tennis Federation and other organizations, have launched the Threat Matrix to monitor and counteract such abuse. Despite these initiatives, Boulter noted an exponential increase in the volume of this abuse, emphasizing the need to protect the up-and-coming generation of players.

(With inputs from agencies.)