On June 17, 2025, British tennis star Katie Boulter exposed the rampant online abuse faced by players, sharing screenshots of vile messages, including death threats and wishes for her to get cancer, in a BBC Sport interview, per. The 28-year-old, ranked world No. 39, described such abuse as “the norm,” particularly from gamblers, and expressed fears about players’ vulnerability, stating, “You don’t know if they’re nearby or know where you live,” per. Her candid revelations prompted world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz to address his own experiences with abusive messages, admitting, “I receive them too. There are some really wild messages,” which can “scare” players, especially after losses, per.
Alcaraz, a five-time Grand Slam champion, revealed he avoids social media after defeats to cope, saying, “I learned when I lose not to look at social media so much because it affected me a lot,” per. He emphasized the emotional toll, noting, “Some even scare you,” and advised players to limit exposure to such toxicity, per. Boulter’s fiancé, Alex de Minaur, echoed her concerns, stating, “Every single tennis player gets thousands, millions of messages when they lose or cost someone money betting,” and lamented the lack of solutions, per. Other players, including Jessica Pegula and Harriet Dart, supported Boulter’s call for stricter measures, like social media ID verification, per. A government spokesperson condemned the abuse as “appalling,” citing the Online Safety Act 2023 to hold platforms accountable, per.
