Shelby Rogers has joined her US compatriot Sloane Stephens in highlighting the abuse tennis players deal with on social media.
She was speaking after her fourth-round defeat to Emma Raducanu at the US Open on Monday.
Rogers was hailed as a hero after beating world No 1 Ashleigh Barty on Saturday, but said the mood can quickly change.
Photo: AP
“Obviously we appreciate the spotlight in those moments, but then you have today, and I’m going to have 9 million death threats and whatnot,” she said at her post-match news conference. “It’s very much polarizing, one extreme to the other very quickly.”
The 28-year-old said she wished “social media didn’t exist,” but is obliged to post due to marketing and sponsorship commitments.
“You could probably go through my profile right now — I’m probably a ‘fat pig’ and words that I can’t say right now, but it is what it is,” Rogers said. “You try not to take it to heart, and it’s the unfortunate side of any sport and what we do .”
Rogers said that she generally does not pay attention to negative comments, but the abuse “does get to your head sometimes.”
“Social media can’t control what I’m doing and the way my training is going to go moving forward, but I wish it didn’t exist. It’s really tough,” she added.
On Saturday, Stephens said she received about 2,000 abusive messages following her third-round loss to Angelique Kerber. Stephens, who is black, said many of the comments were sexist and racist and reposted some of them to social media.
“This type of hate is so exhausting and never-ending,” she said.
The comments by Rogers and Stephens come at a time when athletes’ mental health is coming under scrutiny . Naomi Osaka said she was unsure of her immediate future in tennis after losing at the US Open.
She did not say whether social media contributed to the issues she is facing.
Male athletes have also taken steps to protect their mental health.
England’s Ben Stokes, one of the best cricket players in the world, stepped away from the game in July to concentrate on his mental well-being, while Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings described his anxiety before playing for England at Euro 2020.
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