Caroline Garcia, a U.S. Open semifinalist two years ago , drew attention Wednesday to the ever-present problem of cyberbullying in tennis , particularly by people who bet on matches, after her first-round loss at the Grand Slam tournament.
Other players echoed Garcia's lament, including defending champion Coco Gauff, who said: "You could be having a good day, and then somebody will literally tell you, 'Oh, go kill yourself.' You're, like, 'OK, thanks.'"
Garcia, a 30-year-old from France who has been ranked as high as No. 4, was seeded 28th at Flushing Meadows but was eliminated by Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday. Zarazua is ranked 92nd and is making her U.S. Open debut.
"Maybe you can think that it doesn't hurt us. But it does. We are humans," Garcia wrote on social media . "And sometimes, when we receive (these) messages, we are already emotionally destroyed after a tough loss. And they can be damaging. Many before me have raised the subject. And still, no progress has been made."
Garcia offered examples of "just a few" of the hundreds of messages she said she was sent after losing recent matches, including one telling her she should consider suicide and another that read, "I hope your mom dies soon."
