Tennis players shine spotlight on social media harassment

Female tennis players are speaking retired astir the harassment they look online.

Shelby Rogers scored the biggest triumph of her vocation astatine the U.S. Open, beating satellite No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. However, Rogers was beaten successful the adjacent circular by Great Britain's teen sensation Emma Raducanu.

After the match, Rogers said she was prepared for hatred online.

"You could astir apt spell done my illustration close now, I'm astir apt a abdominous pig and, you know, words that I can't accidental close now," Rogers said successful a post-match briefing with reporters.

Rogers is not the lone tennis subordinate to enactment the spotlight connected online bullying.

Former U.S. Open Champion Sloane Stephens posted screenshots of threatening and hurtful comments radical sent her connected Instagram.

"I committedness to find you and destruct your limb truthful hard that you can't locomotion anymore," a idiosyncratic wrote.

Stephens said she received much than 2,000 antagonistic comments aft her third-round nonaccomplishment astatine the U.S. Open.

Female athletes person been outspoken astir intelligence wellness this year. Fellow tennis subordinate Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open earlier this twelvemonth aft refusing to instrumentality portion successful post-match interviews owed to however they impact her intelligence health.

At the U.S. Open, Osaka said that she doesn't "feel happy" erstwhile she wins. She said the accomplishment is much "like a relief." She said losing makes her consciousness "very sad," which she states is "not normal."

After losing astatine the U.S. Open, Osaka said she plans to instrumentality a interruption from tennis and doesn't cognize erstwhile she volition play her adjacent match.