PARIS | For the first time during a Grand Slam tournament, a tool to combat harassment and intimidation on social networks has been made available to players at Roland-Garros.
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The French Tennis Federation has partnered with the Bodyguard application, which uses artificial intelligence to have a moderator on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Athletes face hateful and discriminatory language every day on the web.
“It happens all the time, confirmed Quebecer Leylah Annie Fernandez during an interview with The newspaper. The first time I saw a mean message, I was 13 years old. It was a shock. But I started to laugh about it, because people don’t know me and I don’t know them. I don’t like to see these kinds of messages, especially when it comes to my family, but it’s part of the sport. I grew up with it.”
Proximity to the public
Her doubles partner, Taylor Townsend, often reads racist or negative comments about her weight.
“Win or lose, there is always something. It happens all the time and you have to have strong nerves, she told the Log. In tennis, it’s easier to have access to players, there is proximity. In other sports, such as basketball, after the game players go to the locker room and leave the arena through a back door. We walk among the public.”
For fellow American Townsend Sloane Stephens, racial slurs have been a problem since the start of her career.
“When there are FBI investigations on this subject, inevitably, it is that it is gaining momentum, it is becoming serious, mentioned recently the one who reached the knockout stages at Roland-Garros. I’ve dealt with this all my life and unfortunately I know that I’m going to have to deal with this all my life. People don’t seem to have any control online and have complete freedom to write whatever they want.”
“It can destroy us”
Having had to deal with mental health problems, in particular because of social networks, Bianca Andreescu has already used the application, but she now believes that she is equipped enough to navigate the web safely.
“I think in a way it’s a good idea because there’s really a lot of negative feedback, especially because of sports betting,” said the Ontarian. But you have to be ready for the real world, because in life there is love and hate. I think it’s a good start, especially for young players, because it can destroy us, as it did for me in 2021. I read the comments all the time. Even if you don’t want to read them, it’s stronger than you.”
instagram screenshot charlottersd
2023. Screenshot taken from charlottersd Instagram account.
Bettors who lose money sometimes take revenge on the players and it’s a pressure British Columbian Rebecca Marino has had to deal with, even taking a nearly five-year hiatus from tennis.
“I think it’s a very cool idea [l’application]. It can really help us, because players can receive a lot of negative messages and it takes time to go through all that yourself,” said Marino.
Trust the technology
Like most players to whom The newspaper spoke during the Paris fortnight, Townsend did not download the application, judging that the decision is up to each individual.
“It depends on how you already manage your social networks and how you manage your private life. I personally have private and public accounts, she said. So you have to be able to let the artificial intelligence work. There’s always a fine line when it comes to technology. Will artificial intelligence do better than me? But it’s an opportunity to check if it can help us and if we want to continue the adventure afterwards. Some athletes don’t have control over their social networks or don’t go there often. It has to be a personal choice.”
The other side of war
As for the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, she has to live with the messages concerning the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which is supported by her country.
“It was very difficult. When it all started, I received a lot of hate messages, she told the media. But I expected that. I try to ignore the negative side of social media. I focus on people who are genuinely interested in my life, my career and my personality. There will always be a lot of people who will hate you, but a lot of people will love you.”
The second player in the world claims that social networks allow people to know the real Aryna.
“I use them to show another side of my personality, not always the aggressive Aryna. Sometimes people have to think to themselves, “She’s crazy!” Then they will see my publications and they will say to themselves: “no, finally, she is not that crazy!”»