At just 28, Katie Boulter is one of the most famous tennis stars, currently ranking as British number two. But sadly, for many female tennis stars, this comes at a cost.
In a recent interview with BBC, Boulter opened up about the 'disgusting' abuse she has received and revealed that her family were even sent death threats to her family. She shared her experiences to raise awareness of the vile abuse tennis players face.
Examples of the messages sent to Boulter include one telling her to buy 'candles and a coffin for your entire family' referencing her 'grandmother’s grave if she’s not dead by tomorrow.' Another stated she should 'go to hell' as she had cost the troll money from a bet, and another stating 'hope you get cancer.'
'I just wonder who the person is that has sent that,' Bouler told the BBC. 'I don’t think it’s something that I would ever say to my worst enemy. It’s just an awful, awful thing to say to anyone. It’s horrible.'
Boulter predicts most of the abuse comes from gamblers who have lost money. She says she has learned to handle it over the years, but she still has genuine concerns for her safety. 'xf. You really don’t know if this person is on site. You really don’t know if they’re nearby or if they know where you live,' she said.
The message she received threatening her family came during her French Open first-round victory over Carole Monnet on 29 May. Boulter explained she is concerned the frequency and severity of the abuse is on the rise and worries about the potential effect on younger players.
'At the very start of my career, it's probably something I took very personally... getting comments about the way you look,' she said. 'It becomes more apparent every single time you go on your phone. I think it increases in number and it also increases in the level of things that people say. I don't think there's anything off the cards now.'
Reflecting on the torrent of abuse she has received, Boulter explained it shows how 'vulnerable' female tennis players are, because it's hard to distinguish between empty threats and those that pose a genuine risk. 'You really don't know if this person is on site. You really don't know if they're nearby or if they know where you live or anything like that,' she said.
Boulter isn't the first female tennis star to open up about these terrifying experiences. [Emma Radacanu]{href='https://graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/emma-raducanu-stalker/' }has faced terrifying experiences with stalkers in the past. Three years ago, a driver from north-west London was handed a five-year restraining order in February 2022, after repeatedly visiting Raducanu’s home.
In a statement to the court at the time, Emma, who was then 19, said the ordeal had left her feeling afraid to go out alone. ‘Because of this I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel on edge and worried this could happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home, which is where I should feel safest,' she said.
The WTA and International Tennis Federation published their first report with insight into the online abuse of players this year. According to the report, out of the 1.6million posts and comments analysed, around 8,000 directed at 458 players identified as abusive, violent or threatening. Five players received 26 per cent of the total abuse, while 40 per cent of the messages were identified as coming from angry gamblers.
Jessica Pegula, Member of the WTA Players’ Council, called the online abuse 'unacceptable' and something that 'no player should have to endure.' She continued: 'I welcome the work that the WTA and ITF are doing with Threat Matrix to identify and take action against the abusers, whose behavior is so often linked to gambling. But it’s not enough on its own. It’s time for the gambling industry and social media companies to tackle the problem at its source and act to protect everyone facing these threats.'
It's a sad reality that women at the top of their game are suffering this abuse on a daily basis - but, as Boulter says, this should not be the norm. From introducing anti-misogyny policies to monitoring and deactivating social media accounts spreading abusive messages, the safety of female tennis players is an urgent concern that needs to be taken seriously, for the sake of all women everywhere. These women should be celebrated for their incredible achievements, not forced to deal with abhorrent misogynistic abuse.
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.