NEW YORK (Reuters) -Caroline Garcia said she received online abuse after her first-round loss at the U.S. Open and the French player on Wednesday blamed "unhealthy betting" as one of the main reasons players are targeted on social media.
Garcia, a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2022, lost 6-1 6-4 on Tuesday to unseeded Mexican Renata Zarazua, who had reached the second round of a Grand Slam only once before.
Garcia shared snippets of the abuse directed at her and her family on social media. The Frenchwoman also took aim at social media platforms for not doing enough to filter abuse.
"Social media platforms don't prevent it, despite AI being in a very advanced position. Tournaments and the sport keeps partnering with betting companies, which keep attracting new people to unhealthy betting," she wrote on Instagram.
"The days of cigarette brands sponsoring sports are long gone. Yet, here we are promoting betting companies, which actively destroy the life of some people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they should be banned.
"But maybe we should not promote them. Also, if someone decided to say these things to me in public, he could have legal issues. So why online we are free to do anything? Shouldn't we reconsider anonymity online?"
Garcia said the messages hurt players, especially after a tough loss when they were "emotionally destroyed", and she was worried about how younger players are affected.
Garcia received support from fellow players including world number one Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys, who thanked her for speaking up.
American Jessica Pegula said: "The constant death threats and family threats are normal now, win or lose."
Defending U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff said there were times she would spend 30 minutes blocking abusive accounts on her social media but people would make new ones.
"If you are already struggling with your own mental issues and on top of that you have people digging deeper, it is tough," she told reporters.
"You could be having a good day and then somebody will literally tell you, oh, go kill yourself. You're, like, OK, thanks.
"Hopefully the AI stuff can help in the future."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru and Ian Ransom in Melbourne; editing by Clare Fallon and Peter Rutherford)
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