With temperatures forecast to be as high as 34C, spectators as well as players must arrive at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Monday prepared to deal with conditions more familiar at grand slams in Australia and the US. But as Wimbledon opens its doors, three weeks after a French Open men’s singles final that some regard as the best tennis match ever (Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner over five and a half hours), other warnings besides heat are known to be troubling some of the players.
Emma Raducanu has said she feels “comfortable” and “safe”, thanks to tighter security arrangements introduced after an unnamed man, who previously signed an agreement to stay away from her, was blocked from buying tickets. Earlier this year she became visibly distressed by his presence at a match in Dubai, after he approached her in person. But while this particular situation appears to have been dealt with, the wider picture regarding female players’ experiences remains troubling – as does the wider problem of online abuse in sports, including that aimed at referees.
Earlier this month the British No 2, Katie Boulter, gave an interview highlighting the toll this behaviour takes. Other players have also described the impact of stalkers and fixated male fans. Three years ago, a different man from the one in Dubai was sentenced to 200 hours community service after repeatedly turning up at Raducanu’s house.
Stalkers are not a new problem for celebrities, including sportspeople. In 1993, Monica Seles was stabbed in Hamburg by a man obsessed with her rival, Steffi Graf. But the darker side of fame has been magnified by digital media – which has changed the rules of social engagement for athletes as well as everyone else.
Since sport, for most people, is an enjoyable leisure activity, its stars are widely regarded as lucky, talented people – not obvious objects of concern. But the disproportionate harassment of female players should bother spectators and society at large, as well as those with a professional interest in their wellbeing.
To some degree such attacks are in line with women’s negative experiences in other areas of public life, including politics, and part of a wider problem of escalating, technologically enabled sexism. But the role of online gambling in fomenting aggression is an element specific to sports that is rightly attracting attention. A newly released report from the Women’s Tennis Association and International Tennis Federation found that 77% of abuse directed at players’ personal accounts came from “frustrated gamblers”, with a handful of top female players facing a disproportionate share of hostility.
Unsurprisingly, given their well documented opposition to stronger regulation in general, gambling companies have been slow to act. But players and those tasked with safeguarding them are pushing back. The two-times Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur – who plays her first-round match on Monday – is among those who have called for betting companies to ban abusers from their platforms for life. She deserves praise for speaking out.
Sir Andy Murray, and others who have voiced concern, recognise that regulating online speech is complex. That does not mean that the status quo is acceptable. Fatalistic attitudes to the growing problem of sexualised online abuse are part of the problem that policymakers need to grip.
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