US Open: Coco Gauff, Caroline Garcia and other tennis players say cyberbullying is still a problem
Caroline Garcia, a U.S. Open semifinalist two years ago, is drawing attention to the problem of cyberbullying in tennis, particularly by people who bet on matches
NEW YORK (AP) — 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 Zarazúa 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday. Zarazúa 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."
