Tennis star Caroline Garcia recently opened up about the torrent of hateful messages and threats she received after her first-round exit at the U.S. Open. The 30-year-old French player, who once reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world, suffered a disappointing loss to the 92nd-ranked Renata Zarazua in straight sets on Tuesday. However, the aftermath of the defeat proved to be even more painful than the loss itself.
On Wednesday, Garcia took to social media to reveal the disturbing nature of the messages she had received following her exit from the tournament. The comments, which included death threats and vile insults, were a stark reminder of the dark side of social media.
“You should consider [gun emoji] yourself,” one commenter wrote, while another maliciously stated, “I hope your mom dies soon.” Yet another person called her “a piece of s—.”
Garcia shared these messages on X (formerly Twitter) as an example of the hate she’s been subjected to, though she emphasized that these were just a few of the many. “This is just a small sample of the messages I’ve received after losing some matches,” Garcia wrote. “There are hundreds more. At 30 years old, although these messages still hurt—because at the end of the day, I’m just a normal girl working really hard and trying my best—I now have the tools and have done the work to protect myself from this hate. But it’s still not okay.”
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Garcia expressed deep concern for younger players who are still developing emotionally and may not have the same resilience or coping mechanisms. “It really worries me when I think about younger players coming up who have to go through this,” she continued. “People who haven’t yet fully developed as humans might be deeply affected by this hate. You might think it doesn’t hurt us, but it does. We are humans. And sometimes, when we receive these messages, we’re already emotionally destroyed after a tough loss. They can be incredibly damaging.”
Garcia also highlighted the ongoing issue of social media platforms failing to prevent such abuse, despite the advanced state of AI technology. She pointed out the hypocrisy of the sports world’s partnerships with betting companies, which she believes contribute to the toxic environment. “Social media platforms don’t prevent this, despite AI being in a very advanced position. Tournaments and the sport keep partnering with betting companies, which attract new people to unhealthy betting. The days of cigarette brands sponsoring sports are long gone, yet here we are promoting betting companies, which actively destroy the lives of some people,” she noted. Garcia clarified that she wasn’t advocating for banning betting, but questioned the wisdom of promoting it.
Garcia also questioned the lack of accountability for those who spew such hate online. “If someone decided to say these things to me in public, they could face legal consequences. So why are people free to do anything online? Shouldn’t we reconsider anonymity on the internet?” she asked.
In her closing thoughts, Garcia acknowledged that those who send such messages are unlikely to change, but she hoped her words would make others think twice before targeting public figures with hate. “I know those who write these terrible messages won’t change because of this. But maybe you, next time you see a post from an athlete, singer, or any other person who has failed or lost, you will remember that she or he is also a human being, trying their best in life.”
Garcia’s year has been marked by ups and downs. Currently ranked No. 28 in the world, she has had mixed results throughout the season. While she played well with Team France in the United Cup and even defeated Naomi Osaka in the first round of the Australian Open, she has struggled to find consistency, with early exits at both the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as in Abu Dhabi.
The vitriol directed at Garcia, however, underscores a troubling trend in sports, where athletes are increasingly subjected to online abuse regardless of their performance. American tennis star Jessica Pegula echoed Garcia’s sentiments, retweeting her post and adding, “Yep. The constant death threats and family threats are normal now. Win or lose.”
Garcia’s experience serves as a sobering reminder of the need for greater protection and accountability on social media platforms, as well as a call for empathy and respect for athletes who, like all of us, are only human.
