The ATP Safe Sport initiative has made significant strides in safeguarding top men’s tennis players from online harassment during its first year. With one strong program, athletes were shielded from more than 162,000 pieces of what’s classified as “major” abuse on social media. Further, it elevated over 3,300 of these comments for additional follow up. This project benefits the 250 highest ranked singles and 50 highest ranked doubles players, providing athletes with a more secure online landscape.
ATP Safe Sport initiative that was created to address the growing epidemic of online abuse. In doing so, it scanned more than 3.1 million digital posts. In its inaugural year, the fledgling organization was able to pinpoint 68 people behind the abusive material. It took enforcement action in the form of 28 referrals to law enforcement. The program’s goal is to reverse a disturbing pattern. Research has shown that more than one in ten comments on players’ posts are abusive, and in some worst-case scenarios, nearly 50 percent of comments can be toxic.
The broader initiative has received international attention in the wake of several incidents involving high-profile players such as Elina Svitolina. Svitolina was attacked with a torrent of vitriolic statements, including death threats, following her loss during the recent Israel-Hamas war. She spoke to the very real, harmful consequences of online abuse on athletes. She cynically dismissed such behavior as the workings of disgruntled bettors, which only further reinforced the case for protective measures.
“I have been flooded with abuse and death threats,” – Elina Svitolina
In light of these disturbing trends, Andrew Azzopardi, a member of the ATP, acknowledged how grave the circumstances have become. He stated, “More than one in 10 comments on players’ posts were abusive – rising to 50 percent in extreme cases. While it won’t eliminate abuse overnight, it’s our first line of defence.”
The ATP Safe Sport initiative is by no means limited to social media. It further stands by athletes who face harassment in the digital sphere. That means addressing real harms such as email harassment, impersonation attempts, deepfakes, and scams. This all-encompassing approach is indicative of the ATP’s strong position on player welfare, especially with the rapid advances in technology and virtual reality.
Serbian tennis player Dusan Lajovic commended the initiative’s role in establishing a safer space online. As an athlete first organization, he expressed optimism about all of the changes it’s made to athletes’ social media experiences.
“Safe Sport creates a healthier online environment, free from hateful comments and negative messages.” – Dusan Lajovic
Lajovic further added, “This way, my social media presence is defined by who I am, not by my performance on the court.”
