Study Reveals Gamblers Fuel Tennis Abuse Online

A report by major tennis organizations reveals that angry gamblers are responsible for 48% of the 12,000 abusive social media posts targeting tennis players in 2024. The International Tennis Federation, Women's Tennis Association, All England Lawn Tennis Club, and United States Tennis Association employed an AI-based system called Threat Matrix to analyze 2.47 million posts across various platforms. The analysis flagged 15 accounts for severe abuse, which have been referred to law enforcement, while 52 accounts were identified as prolific sources of hate. The study highlights that abusive content spikes during major tournaments, as bettors express frustration online. Former world number one Victoria Azarenka endorsed the initiative, emphasizing the importance of creating a healthier online environment for players. The system currently protects around 8,000 players and operates in 39 languages.