Faced with the cyberharassment of players, the French Tennis Federation is fighting back. For the first time in the history of Roland-Garros, the FFT will set up an application to identify and then erase the hateful messages that athletes receive on their social networks.
Players more protected. After several requests to the French Tennis Federation, the participants of Roland-Garros 2023 have finally been heard. For the first time in the history of the legendary Porte d’Auteuil tournament, the organizers have decided to take the subject of cyberbullying seriously. Insults, intimidation, and even sometimes death threats, tennis players are receiving more and more disturbing messages on social networks after matches, the latter very generally coming from frustrated bettors after a match.
Very often targeted, the French Benoît Paire had shared several screenshots on the social network Twitter dating from April 2022. We could read messages such as: “We are going to kill you” or “please, die”. Other French players like Gaël Monfils or Caroline Garcia had already pointed out this scourge which particularly strikes the world of tennis. A call heard by Amélie Mauresmo, director of Roland-Garros. Concerned about the mental health of players, the former captain of the France Davis Cup team announced that he had put in place a new mechanism to fight against this cyberharassment during the fortnight.
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) April 21, 2023
Specialized company
During the Paris tournament, the FFT will call on a company called Bodyguard. Specializing in cyberbullying, the latter will make it possible to detect and erase hateful messages that athletes may receive. Players of the main draw, but also juniors or participants in wheelchairs, all registered players can, if they wish, benefit from this service. A major step forward that will allow athletes to “be more free in their minds”, rejoiced Amélie Mauresmo.
The director of Roland-Garros openly expressed her pride after this announcement: “It’s great for the mental well-being of the players! It clears the mind. I can’t wait to see the feelings of the players on this service”, projected the former number 1 tricolor.
Source: Europe1
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
