Female tennis players were targeted with over 12,000 abusive messages and posts across social media platforms throughout 2025, according to a recent report. The data, compiled by the Signify Group's threat matrix service, indicates a persistent issue, with the number of abusive posts remaining consistent with figures from 2024.
The report, which utilises artificial intelligence-led detection supported by human analysts, monitored content across major platforms including X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook. While the sheer volume of abuse remains a concern, there were some positive developments noted, with 66% of serious abusive content successfully removed. Furthermore, 35 social media accounts, linked to 12 distinct individuals, were escalated to law enforcement agencies for further action.
A statement from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) player board described the abuse as “unacceptable” and underscored its “significant” impact on players. The report also shed light on the perpetrators, revealing that angry gamblers were responsible for 42% of verified abusive posts in 2025, and a higher proportion of 59% in cases deemed to be serious abuse. This follows a 2024 report from the same group, which attributed 48% of abusive posts to gamblers.
The WTA and World Tennis emphasised the necessity of “collective action” to achieve substantial progress in tackling online abuse. They stated that insights from the report are “crucial” for understanding the problem and taking decisive measures to protect victims. British tennis player Katie Boulter publicly shared in 2025 that she had received death threats, a stark illustration of the severity of the issue, leading to calls from fellow players for social media platforms to implement identity verification measures.
While acknowledging the effectiveness of current actions, the organisations stressed that further significant progress requires a concerted effort from social media companies, law enforcement, governing bodies, and the gambling industry. They committed to proactively advocating for these changes. In the men’s game, a separate AI-driven system is already in place to combat severe abuse, having blocked 162,000 posts over a year.