The tournament provided extra security for Raducanu in Dubai and various safeguarding measures are in place to protect players, but the Women’s Tennis Association’s director of safeguarding, Lindsay Brandon, said social media companies needed to crack down on threatening online behaviour, calling it the “missing piece” needed to further bolster athlete safety.
A leading tennis official has called on social media companies to step up protection for female athletes after an incident involving Emma Raducanu in Dubai shone a spotlight on the stalking of leading players.
Tennis authorities have put significant investment into minimising the possibility of people who pose a threat getting close to players, including the WTA credential eligibility system, which requires tournament personnel to authorise annual criminal background checks and complete a safeguarding education course.
In 2024 the WTA, along with three other tennis organisations, took matters into their own hands when they introduced Threat Matrix, which uses AI to monitor abusive content directed at players and provides rapid threat assessment – a tool Brandon said was “needed now more than ever”.
British player’s experience has raised questions about women’s safety in tennis with governing body saying social media is a ‘missing piece’ in battle for player protection.
