ATP blocks 234,000 abusive comments targeting tennis players

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has intercepted approximately 234,000 abusive comments intended for players and fans through its Safe Sport initiative. An analysis of over 3.7 million comments across ATP and player social media channels revealed that more than 284,000 abusive messages were identified, with over 82% removed in real time.

During its first year, the program identified and hid more than 162,000 comments categorized as containing “severe” abuse. The initiative utilizes AI-enabled moderation and specialist threat assessments to protect athletes. The ATP noted that social media abuse was directed at over 85% of men's tennis players who attracted online engagement in the past year.

Andrew Azzopardi, the ATP director of safeguarding, stated that player welfare is central to the organization's work and emphasized that online abuse has no place in tennis. The program follows high-profile instances of abuse, including racist remarks directed at Coco Gauff and harassment from bettors.