Following her shock defeat to Mexico's Renata Zarazua at the US Open on Tuesday, French tennis player Carolina Garcia took to social media to urge her critics to watch their words.
Garcia, ranked 28th in the women's singles world heading into the final Grand Slam of the year, posted a heartfelt message across all her social media platforms on Wednesday, saying she was receiving nasty messages after her straight-set loss.
“These are some of the messages I received after losing a recent match. Just a few. There are hundreds,” Garcia said while sharing the messages she received on Xpost. “And it still hurts, now that I'm 30, but at the end of the day, I'm just a normal girl trying my best. I've taken steps and efforts to protect myself from this hate, but still, this is not okay.”
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Caroline Garcia of France plays against Renata Zarazua of Mexico in a first round women's singles match during day two of the 2024 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens on August 27, 2024 in New York City. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
“I really worry about the young players coming up having to go through this. They haven't fully developed as people yet and this hate could really affect them. We might think it won't hurt us, but it does. We are human, and sometimes when we get messages like this, we're already emotionally devastated after a tough loss, and it can be damaging. Many people have raised this issue before me, and yet no progress has been made.”
Garcia said some of the messages she received included “You're the worst” and “Clowns should belong in the circus.”
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Garcia, who has spoken publicly about her past struggles, including her battle with bulimia, said betting on tennis has exacerbated those messages.
“Despite the enormous advances in AI, social media platforms are powerless to stop it. Tournaments and sports continue to partner with betting companies, attracting new people to unhealthy gambling. The days of tobacco brands sponsoring sports are long gone, but we are promoting gambling companies that are actively destroying people's lives,” Garcia wrote.
Caroline Garcia of France plays against Renata Zarazua of Mexico in the first round of women's singles during day two of the 2024 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens on August 27, 2024 in New York City. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
“Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying people are free to do whatever they want with their money and we should ban them. But maybe we shouldn't promote them. Also, if someone decided to say something like this to me in public, there could be legal issues. So why are we free to do whatever we want online? Shouldn't we rethink online anonymity?”
Garcia understands she may continue to receive these hateful messages, but as she said, it's unacceptable to continue seeing them.
So after losing in the women's singles, she wants to spread a message of kindness as she prepares to play doubles with American partner Danielle Collins at the US Open.
Caroline Garcia of France practices for the U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 22, 2024 in New York City. (Robert Plunge/Getty Images)
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“I know this won't change the people who write these nasty messages,” she wrote, “but the next time you see a post about an athlete, singer, or anyone else who has failed or lost, maybe you'll remember that they are also human beings trying their best in life.”
“Be kind. Give love. Enjoy life.”
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