Carolina Garcia, a 28th-ranked women's singles player who suffered a shock defeat at the U.S. Open, has shared disturbing messages she received from critics following the loss, exposing the prevalence of online hate speech in tennis.
In the wake of her unexpected loss to Mexico's Renata Zarazua at the U.S. Open, French tennis star Carolina Garcia has taken to social media to condemn the torrent of hateful messages she has received from critics.
Tennis Star Carolina Garcia Denounces Online Hate Speech Amidst Loss at U.S. Open
Garcia, who entered the final Grand Slam of the year as the 28th-ranked women's singles player, shared a heartfelt message on various social media platforms, expressing her deep concern about the psychological harm such online abuse can inflict on individuals.
"This are some of the messages I received lately after loosing (sic) some matches. Just a few of them. There’s hundreds," Garcia wrote, sharing a handful of the vitriolic messages she has encountered.
Tennis Star Carolina Garcia Denounces Online Hate Speech Amidst Loss at U.S. Open
"And now, being 30 years old, although they still hurt, because at the end of the day, I’m just a normal girl working really hard and trying my best, I have tools and have done work to protect myself from this hate. But still, this is not ok," she added.
Garcia lamented that young and impressionable athletes, who may not have fully developed the emotional resilience to cope with such abuse, are particularly vulnerable to the detrimental effects of online hate speech.
Tennis Star Carolina Garcia Denounces Online Hate Speech Amidst Loss at U.S. Open
"It really worries me when I think about younger players coming up, that have to go through this. People that still haven’t yet developed fully as a human and that really might be affected by this hate. Maybe you can think that it doesn’t hurt us. But it does. We are humans. And sometimes, when we receive this messages we are already emotionally destroyed after a tough loss. And they can be damaging," she wrote.
Garcia highlighted the role of betting companies in exacerbating the issue, claiming that their sponsorship of the sport and the associated promotion of unhealthy betting practices attract malicious individuals who engage in such online abuse.
"Social media platforms don’t prevent it, despite AI being in a very advanced position. Tournaments and the sport keeps partnering with betting companies, which keep attracting new people to unhealthy betting. The days of cigarette brands sponsoring sports are long gone. Yet, here we are promoting betting companies, which actively destroy the life of some people," Garcia wrote.
Garcia acknowledged that anonymity online may contribute to the prevalence of hateful behavior, and suggested that reconsidering the implications of online anonymity could be warranted.
Despite the likelihood that malicious messages will continue, Garcia expressed her determination to use her platform to advocate for kindness and empathy.
"I know those who write these terrible messages won’t change because of this," she wrote. "But maybe you, next time you see a post from an athlete, singer or any other person, that has failed or lost, you will remember that she or he is also a human being, trying his best in life. "Be kind. Give love. Enjoy life."
