"I usually don’t pay much attention, but this time it was too much" - Elena Rybakina disables social media after hate messages take its toll

Social media for the players on the WTA Tour can be a cruel place at times with a plethora of hate being directed towards them. It was too overwhelming for the world number two Elena Rybakina who has made the decision to disable her Instagram account. She since explained the thinking behind it.

The Kazakh was stunned at Queen's Club Championships in an earlier than anticipated defeat. After getting the better of reigning champion Tatjana Maria in three sets, she stumbled to defeat against a brilliant Katie Boulter.

In front of a home crowd, the Brit put on a brilliant showing to take down the number one seed in three sets and blast into the semi-finals. For Rybakina, it is huge disappointment. She was the big favourite to clinch the title but was unable to produce the tennis she is capable of on a surface that has treated her well in the past.

A former Wimbledon champion, Rybakina will hope for better results throughout the rest of the grass swing. She next travels to the German capital to compete in the Berlin Ladies Open, this time as the number two seed with world number one Aryna Sabalenka in action. As well as that, the likes of Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina all take to court in a stacked lineup.

Ahead of the tournament with the Queen's result still on her mind, Rybakina opted to stay away from social media with the influx of hate messages growing more potent.

She was asked why this decision was made by reporters ahead of the tournament in Berlin. “I usually don’t pay much attention (to social media), but this time it was too much," she said. "Since it’s our job, we have to post a lot. And I felt that if these people can’t stop just because I lost a match, I’d rather not give them the opportunity to comment."

Players are relying on social media for a source of income, some more than others. Rybakina is one of the top players in the world with her earning a lot of money from the big tournaments competed in as she regularly goes on deep runs, but it is still not an ideal situation.

Studies in the past show that a large amount of hate being sent and directed at players come through gamblers losing their bets and trying to find a scapegoat. With Rybakina the overwhelming favourite against Boulter, this seemed like an obvious pick. However, sport does not always work like that with its unpredictable nature making it vastly popular with many.

The two-time Grand Slam champion has finally had enough of all of it, turning away from the platforms in search of a healthier way of life. “I don’t want to spend the whole day cleaning up my Instagram," she stated. "I have people helping me, but they’re not on it all the time. I thought it would be better to stay away from social media. For me, it’s fine to stay away from social media.”

Rybakina has not hit the heights on court since she last appeared in Germany. She clinched the title on clay at the Stuttgart Open, defeating Karolina Muchova in the final.

Following that, a fourth round loss in Madrid and a quarter-final exit in Rome fell short of expectations, for which Rybakina's are very high. Roland Garros ended even earlier with one of the surprises of the tournament. This says a lot with this edition of the French Open being hugely unpredictable and surprising. In this instance. it was Yuliia Starodubtseva who ended her title challenge in the second round in a third set tiebreak.

Rybakina has chosen to play a full grass swing. Queen's is directly followed by Berlin with her staying in Germany to compete in the Bad Homburg Open. This is just before Wimbledon commences with a huge chance of her grabbing more Grand Slam glory. A former champion, if she can return to her imperious best then it would be hard to see anyone find a way past.