Katie Boulter reveals reply to online troll after receiving death threats

Independent

5 hours ago

Katie Boulter has revealed she has received multiple death threats and abuse after her performances on court and has even interacted with online trolls to help them better understand the damage they can cause.
The British No 2 has recalled how after she dropped a tie-break at the French Open last month against Carole Monnet, several gamblers messaged her online.
Boulter would go on to win her second round match at Roland Garros in three sets, yet she has been left in fear by the experience.
One user said, 'hope you get cancer,' while another vowed to damage her 'grandmother's grave if she's not dead by tomorrow.'
Others referenced how they had 'lost money my mother sent me', in an ever-increasing problem for tennis.
Her story resonates with that of Gael Monfils, who took to social media last week after suffering from a similar experience following a defeat to Alex Michelsen in Stuttgart.
But the French player instead took to social media to hit back at abusive bettors: 'You're writing that I'm s***, I know I'm s***, we both know I'm s***, and you still bet on me? Who's the dumbest between you and me? Let's be honest.'
Boulter, 28, has now shared her inbox to reveal how it has become 'the norm' for tennis players, while also holding concern over the impact felt by younger players.
"At the very start of my career, it's probably something I took very personally... getting comments about the way you look," Boulter told BBC Sport. 'It becomes more apparent every single time you go on your phone.
"I think it increases in number and it also increases in the level of things that people say. I don't think there's anything off the cards now."
While Boulter even interacted with one online troll, revealing: "I've just tried to send them a nice message [so] maybe they can take a second and look at themselves and go: 'Oh, well maybe I shouldn't have sent that.'
"Sometimes the replies I actually get from that is them saying: 'Oh no, I'm a huge fan. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to send you that stuff, but it was emotional, I didn't mean to. You know, I still support you. I think you're amazing.' They don't realise sometimes what they've actually said to these people."
Boulter admits the messages make her feel 'vulnerable', with Signify, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA) revealing in a study that last year there were about 8,000 abusive, violent or threatening messages sent publicly to 458 tennis players on social media.
Boulter's experience will also resonate with Caroline Garcia, the former world No 30, who spoke out last year about her ordeal, while also pleading for online trolls to remember tennis players 'are human'.
The Frenchwoman was supported by Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula. She also highlighted how the relationship between tennis tournaments and bookmakers further exacerbates the problem.
Racist abuse online has also become common for tennis players, with Sloane Stephens and Jay Clarke previously revealing messages sent to them online.
Signify is working with the tennis authorities to detect abuse through an artificial intelligence-led detection system called Threat Matrix.
The system is being used in collaboration with the ITF, WTA, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and United States Tennis Association (USTA), with players able to share abusive messages and receive security advice.