Swiatek Urges Better Online Abuse Tools for Players

Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek called for more tools to combat online abuse in sports following Caroline Garcia's experience with online hate after her U.S. Open first-round loss. Bodies like the ITF and WTA have introduced AI tools like Threat Matrix to protect athletes. Players urge education and better AI solutions.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has called on the sport's governing bodies to provide more tools to combat online abuse after Caroline Garcia spoke out about receiving hate following her first-round U.S. Open loss. Garcia attributed much of the abuse to 'unhealthy betting'.

In December, the ITF, WTA, AELTC, and USTA launched Threat Matrix, a monitoring service combining AI and open-source data to protect athletes. The French Open has also provided AI-powered software to block online harassment and hate speech.

Swiatek emphasized the need for education and improved AI solutions to create safer online environments for athletes. Men's world number one Jannik Sinner and Russian player Karen Khachanov echoed her sentiments, highlighting the importance of support from loved ones and advocating for kindness and respect online.

(With inputs from agencies.)