This is one of the perverse effects of social networks, amplified by the liberalization and the proliferation of online betting sites. Professional tennis players are increasingly attacked and insulted, most of the time after defeats, by internet users hiding under pseudonyms and frustrated at having lost money betting on them. The most recent and striking example of this was the case of Sloane Stephens, targeted by more than 2,000 insulting messages after her elimination in the 3rd round of the US Open. Consequently, several voices are being raised, including that of Roger Federer recently, to have the problem taken seriously. And the Indian Wells tournament took a big step in that direction.
The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) is thus present on the site of the Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 in the Californian desert. The entrants were informed by the organizers a few days ago. The US federal agency will thus be responsible for monitoring and dealing with harassment and threats on social networks to which athletes may be victims. An initiative that gives an idea of the scale of the phenomenon. On the French side, Gaël Monfils and Alizé Cornet had also shared some of the insults aimed at them.
