Female tennis players faced 12,000 abusive posts in 2025

Female tennis players faced 12,000 abusive posts in 2025Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Katie Boulter, the British number two, has previously spoken about receiving death threats on social mediaByAdam MillingtonBBC Sport journalistPublished4 minutes agoFemale tennis players were subjected to more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media last year, according to a new report.Data from the Signify Group's threat matrix service, which uses artificial intelligence-led detection, showed a similar number of abusive posts in 2025 to 2024.The report highlighted some positive changes, however, with 66% of serious abuse being removed. 35 accounts linked to 12 individuals were also escalated to law enforcement.A statement from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) player board said the abuse was "unacceptable" and its impact can be "significant".In 2024, a report from the same group found that angry gamblers were behind 48% of posts which were deemed to be abusive.They were responsible for 42% of verified abuse in 2025 and 59% of cases of serious abuse.Gambling and social media abuse of women in sport - what is going on?Published18 June 2025I had first death threat at 18 - Watson on social media abusePublished27 June 2025Tennis players call for ID verification after Boulter abusePublished17 June 2025The WTA's player board said in a statement: "While it comes from a relatively small number of accounts, its impact can be significant. It's reassuring to know the WTA and World Tennis are taking this seriously, supporting players and making it clear that this kind of behaviour isn't acceptable."The progress highlighted in this report demonstrates the value of working collaboratively across the sport and with our partners to identify abusive behaviour, support players and take meaningful action against those responsible."The threat matrix uses AI, supported by human analysts, to assess content across X,...