Tennis players call for ID verification after Boulter abuse

Tennis players have demanded more action to stop "dangerous" abuse from the "dark side" of social media with calls for the introduction of identity verification after Britain's Katie Boulter laid bare the extent of the issue.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Boulter said that receiving abusive content and death threats has become "the norm" for athletes and that "it becomes more apparent every single time you go on your phone".

She shared messages including one that read "Hope you get cancer" and another that referenced damaging her "grandmother's grave if she's not dead by tomorrow".

After saying she fears about the impact this kind of abuse can have on younger players, Boulter has received support and backing from her fellow players.

Speaking after her round-of-32 defeat to Francesca Jones at the Nottingham Open on Tuesday, British number four Harriet Dart called for the introduction of identification measures when creating social media accounts.

"The amount of abuse that we all get is pretty mind blowing," Dart said.

"The WTA are obviously trying to do something about it with the Threat Matrix system, but until Instagram verify ID or something, sadly, people can keep reopening accounts."

Boulter's partner and world number 12 Alex de Minaur said that an increasing number of athletes do not deal with their own social media accounts because of abuse.

"There is a lot of good that comes out of it [social media], but there is also a dark side," he said.

Speaking before she faces Boulter in the last 16 at Nottingham on Wednesday, British number three Sonay Kartal called for collective action.

"These people can just create endless accounts. And I don't necessarily know who is to be held responsible, I don't think it's solely one person," she said.

"If I can help report it, if WTA can help report it, we'll come together and try our best to eliminate it. I think that's the best way to get rid of it."

Figures provided by data science firm Signify, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA) - show that, in 2024, about 8,000 abusive, violent or threatening messages were sent publicly to 458 tennis players through their social media accounts.

But for Dart, social media abuse goes far beyond tennis.

"This isn't just a tennis issue," she said. "This is a global issue, and it's not just a sport issue. It's everywhere. It's even regular people who I'm sure get trolled or whatever by certain people or individuals.

"We live in the 21st century, and are we not ID-ing people on social media. You can connect people, and then people can be found and stuff. Because it's pretty horrific, the abuse that all of us get. That's why I feel like a lot of the time, social media can be like a big negative.

"We also have very impressionable young females, young males on social media these days. I am an experienced athlete who's gone through this for a very, very long time. I know what they say to me doesn't mean anything.

"But for people who are a lot younger and inexperienced, I think it can be very worrying and very dangerous too."

British men's number one Jack Draper shared Boulter's concerns about future generations.

"I think we're lucky enough to maybe have grown up into social media, whereas, you know, the generation coming up are growing up with it," he said.

"So they know nothing different. I think it's so easy to spread online hate. It's not easy, especially, I think she said, when you're younger and you lose a match or something, and you come into the professional tour and getting all this abuse saying they will come around your house and do this and that. It's not nice."

World men's number two Carlos Alcaraz said he doesn't look at social media after he loses because abuse is "difficult to deal with".

"I have seen a lot of players that have received a lot of messages from the gamblers, from the people.

"If I have to give an advice, [it would be] not to see social media when things are not going well, because people sometimes can be really dangerous."

During a press conference on Tuesday, Boulter said she has received hundreds of messages of support since opening up on her online abuse.

"I looked on my phone this morning, and literally, there are hundreds of messages of people reacting to it, and every single person was just telling me to disregard it," she said.

"And [they were saying] how much they love me and how much they appreciate me bringing this subject into light, and they weren't aware of it.

"I just don't think people are aware of it. I don't think people realise how much that actually happens to players. I think you kind of see what you want to see."

The 28-year-old also offered to support young female players who are struggling with online abuse.

"I am trying to raise awareness for it, and if any of those girls feel like they want to talk to me about it, I would be more than happy to do so at any point about anything," Boulter said.

"I see myself as an open book, and I see myself as someone who's been through quite a journey."

Social media identification measures are often suggested to combat abuse, but according to a report published by Ofcom - the UK's online safety regulator such controls are difficult to implement.

The report says that identification measures were discussed debated while the Online Safety Act 2023 ('the Act') was passing through Parliament.

However, the Government and Parliament decided against imposing a blanket policy on user verification, for reasons including freedom of expression and the anonymity requirements of groups such as survivors of domestic abuse.

Ofcom was given legal powers under the Act to hold online services to account for protecting their UK users.

This involves making sure that online services have systems and processes in place to protect UK users from illegal harms, such as inciting violence, and protecting children from content that is harmful to them.

Some of the online abuse people experience today is illegal under UK law, but much of it, though distressing and harmful, is not.

The report says that "Platforms take different approaches to content that is harmful, but not illegal: some ban certain categories of harmful content in their terms and conditions; others provide users with more tools to protect and tailor their online experiences; and some may choose to do nothing at all."

A future phase of the Online Safety Act will see all adult users of the biggest social media platforms given the option to verify their identity. But this will not be compulsory.

Last month, Jessica Zucker, online safety director at Ofcom, said: "So many people who work in sport are subjected to vile abuse online. This is having a devastating impact on them, their livelihoods and their families, and no-one should have to put up with it.

"The UK's new online safety laws mean tech firms now have to start protecting people on their sites and apps from illegal forms of abuse."