Katie Boulter, 28-year-old British tennis player, No. 39 in the World and second in Great Britain, revealed on Tuesday the kinds of messages she received online: "Hope you get cancer", insults to her family and grandmother... hundreds of people insulting her, some because they lost money on her bets, that overwhelmed her as it was "hard to differentiate those that constituted a genuine risk".
Her words, published on BBC, had a great resonance in the world of tennis, and many players have since spoken out to support her and to also denounced the online abuse they received, that has become the norm for athletes.
Compatriots Harriet Dart and Sonay Kartal suggested that there should be identification measures when creating social media accounts, so it really doesn't matter much when WTA reports those accounts, as they can easily create new accounts. Álex de Miñaur, who is also Boulter's partner, said that many athletes do not want to deal with their own social media accounts because of these kinds of abuses.
Boulter now wants to support younger players going through the same
The bright side is that speaking out also meant that Boulter received "hundreds of messages of support". "They were saying how much they love me and how much they appreciate me bringing this subject into light, and they weren't aware of it. I just don't think people are aware of it. I don't think people realise how much that actually happens to players."
Boulter also offered support to young female players struggling with online abuse. "I am trying to raise awareness for it, and if any of those girls feel like they want to talk to me about it, I would be more than happy to do so. I see myself as an open book, and I see myself as someone who's been through quite a journey."