ATP employs Safe Sport program to battle online harassment, flags over 160,000 abusive comments within the first year
ATP
As online abuse towards celebrities and athletes becomes more rampant, the ATP took steps to ensure it's players are protected. The tennis governing body launched the Safe Sport Initiative in July 2024, and they revealed their findings this week.
Safe Sport uses real-time Artificial Intelligence to detect and hide social media comments from players' accounts. Introduced in July 2024, the application is available to the top 250 players in singles and the top 50 in doubles.
The ATP Tour released their findings after one year of implementation. Results showed that more than 3.1 million comments were scanned, with the ones classified as most severe hidden from the 245 players who were targeted.
Additionally, over 162,000 abusive social media comments directed at players within the program's first year. This has been a common topic of discussion lately, with several players often complaining about the abuse they receive whether they win or lose a match.
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The ATP is striving to protect it's the well-being of players, says spokesperson
"More than 1 in 10 comments on players' posts were abusive — rising to 50% in extreme cases," read a statement by Andrew Azzopardi, the ATP's director of safeguarding. "While it won't eliminate abuse overnight, it's our first line of defense. Safeguarding player well being is a long-term commitment."
In addition to protecting players from seeing abusive comments, Safe Sport supports players facing email threats, impersonation, deepfakes and scams. Danish tennis star Holger Rune had to implore fans to be careful of what they read online, as a few unscrupulous individuals were posting fake screenshots of false comments allegedly made bi his mother, Aneke Rune.
The stars of the WTA have also been the victim of online abuse, perhaps more than their male counterparts. In addition to receiving sexist and racist remarks, several WTA players have posted screenshots of death threats sent by random people on the internet, aimed at either the players themselves or their family members.
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The worst playlist 🤕🎶
— Winston-Salem Open (@WSOpen) August 22, 2025
Here's what players WON'T be listening to heading to NYC!#WSOpen pic.twitter.com/tAnLJ0a3FG
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026 - Wtf? Why is there no reason? And what about the men's?Bel08-11-2026
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mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Don't you just love this young lady!? We fans often expect athletes to be supermen and superwomen, often forgetting that they WILL GET TIRED! I love Alex's perspective. Tiredness for an athlete should never be viewed as a negative, especially if you are healthy, taking care of your body and mental health and putting in the work. What a mature perspective. Good for you, Alex!Rapunzel05-11-2026
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