Standing up against the hate: Amanda Anisimova and Elena-Gabriela Ruse clap back against mob of online trolls

Being a tennis player has its perks, but there are also a lot of negative factors which come with it. One of which is dealing with a mob of critics on social media hounding them with hate comments. Recently, Amanda Anisimova and Elena-Gabriela Ruse had enough of this and stood up against this brigade.

Both players were set to start their Asian swing this week, but things have not gone to plan for Anisimova. The two-time Grand Slam finalist has endured a torrid year on court with inconsistent form and a frustrating wrist problem all holding her back.

It seems the same or a similar problem that kept her out of much of the clay swing has prevented her from competing at the Singapore Tennis Open this week, withdrawing at the last minute. This comes as a huge blow with her China Open title defence just around the corner.

However, it was not the injury that had got some people on her back. Anisimova has got herself in tremendous shape with a visible athletic transformation as she looks to get in the perfect shape to compete.

Anisimova showed off her new physique on Instagram, causing a lot of speculation with the 25-year-old accused of using Ozempic. It is an injectable prescription medicine licensed for type 2 diabetes that can also be used for weight loss. It naturally lowers calorie intake while delaying the stomach from emptying, lending to the person in question feeling fuller for longer.

Anisimova was forced to go back onto social media and confirm that she was not using the drug, clapping back at a specific group of people. "To all the health specialists and professional body commentators in the comments. I'm not on Ozempic, please leave me alone and out of your unique posts."

Yesterday, Ruse took on Eva Lys in the second round of the Korea Open. It would only last 68 minutes, with the Romanian coming out on top in a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win. This just adds up to Lys' problems at the moment in a turbulent campaign.

On the brink of dropping out of the top 100, injury struggles still hold her back with the points from a China Open quarter-final from last year to be defended in the coming weeks. This has led to a barrage of hate all spiralling towards her.

Ruse came to the side of her good friend after her victory in Seoul. She clapped back at the people online who were sending the German all the negative messages and stood up for Lys, detailing exactly what tennis players have to regularly go through to get to the top and why they deserve so much respect.

"I felt so disappointed seeing so many negative comments on my post, about one of my best friends on tour, and I had to write this because, honestly, it hurt me," she wrote on her Instagram story.

"Before judging a professional athlete behind a screen, remember you are looking at the result of years and years of discipline, injuries, pressure, loneliness, and countless hours of work that nobody sees. Becoming a professional tennis player is not something that happens by luck. It takes an incredible amount of talent, but even more dedication and the courage to keep going when things don't go your way.

"You have no idea how many times a professional athlete has had to pick themselves up after a loss, play through the pain, leave family and friends behind, or fight battles that nobody from the outside will ever know about.

"Eva has earned her place on the court. She deserves respect, regardless of the result of a match. You don't have to like every player. You don't have to agree with every result. But you can choose to be respectful."

Ruse still ploughs on in Korea, hopeful of challenging for the title. The number four seed will take on South Korean wildcard Yeonwoo Ku for a spot in the quarter-finals as she eyes a first WTA title since July 2021.