Wimbledon organisers have a team of trained investigators to protect players from online abuse, unmask trolls and identify potential harassers during the tournament as abuse against female stars “continues to rise”.
The new Threat Matrix monitoring service will use AI to constantly scan content on platforms like X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok for harmful posts targeting competitors.
This comes as the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) warned that the number of female stars affected by online harassment is rising and urged social media bosses to make their platforms safer.
In 2022, British tennis star Emma Raducanu told police she was “constantly looking over her shoulder” after an enamored former Amazon delivery driver tracked down her address and left notes, flowers and even Christmas decorations.
Any questionable messages directed at players will be reviewed by a group of trained analysts who will seek to identify the worst offenders, assess the risks posed and remove the content.
Last night, British No.2 Harriet Dart said after her win over British No.1 Katie Boulter that she was reluctant to use social media because of the hate directed at her.
British No.2 Harriet Dart spoke out after her win over British No.1 Katie Boulter about the dangers of social media
Emma Raducanu was named the fourth “most attacked” tennis player in 2021, receiving more than 10,000 abusive tweets after withdrawing from Wimbledon due to breathing difficulties.
Amrit Magar (pictured outside Bromley Magistrates’ Court in 2022) was handed a five-year restraining order after walking 23 miles to the London home of British tennis star Raducanu.
The 27-year-old, who reached the third round of the Championship, said: ‘There are a lot of positives (social media) but there are also a lot of negatives.
‘I’m sure if I opened one of my apps today, regardless of whether I won, I’d get a lot of hate too.’
Bosses at Signify Group, the ethical data science company behind the programme, said female players like Dart are expected to be disproportionately targeted by trolls during the championships.
Jake Marsh, Director of Sport at Signify, said: ‘Women’s sport is booming, but with an increasing profile comes an increased risk of online abuse against its participants.
‘Unfortunately, female players, pundits and match officials are targeted by a variety of online abuse, which can also include violent threats.’
Organisers are acutely aware of the pressure placed on players by the volume of targeted online abuse and are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as a dedicated monitoring team to tackle the problem.
“This year is actually the first year we’ve had a social media monitoring service specifically for the event,” said tournament organizer Jamie Baker.
‘This is not something you will see in the public domain at all, you won’t see us shouting about it, but we are indeed checking social media for this type of (abusive) content.
“This means we can gain insights we haven’t had in the past and we’re not just reliant on what the player might say is happening to them. If there’s something concerning, our security teams can step in and help do something about it.”
The French Open already had its own monitoring service to detect abuse against players online and Wimbledon has not followed suit.
There are different levels of monitoring available to players, with the option to opt for what has been described as a more comprehensive service.
“There are two parts and it depends on how far they want to go with the service,” Baker said.
Dart, 27, reached the third round of the Championship on Thursday and said she was reluctant to use social media because of the hate directed at her.
‘Without going into detail… if they want the full service, there is an opt-in element, but we actually have the ability through this to really scan and collect information that could help them.
‘The basis is that if we have something that we think is concerning or worth pointing out, we should communicate with the player and then address the next steps regarding that.
‘The benefit of having it is that we have the ability to make some sort of official record with the right people there.
“We wouldn’t really take those steps without interacting with the player or his team to try to get a sense of what’s going on.”
Baker added: “We’re not stepping in and becoming the police, but it’s important to try to help (players).”
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said the number of players affected by online harassment is rising and urged social media bosses to make their platforms safer.
Courtney McBride, WTA General Counsel and Senior Vice President, said: ‘We have been working with our players for several years to support them on this important issue as the number of those affected continues to rise.
“We remain committed to working with social media companies and urge them to find ways to make their platforms a safe place for expression where harassment or abuse of individuals is not tolerated.”
The WTA, which along with the AELTC and ITF, hired Threat Matrix to cover this year’s championships, said player safety was its “number one priority”.
Wimbledon has launched a dedicated social media monitoring service to help competing players deal with abuse directed at them via social media.
British star Raducanu was named the fourth most trolled tennis player in 2021, receiving more than 10,000 abusive tweets after withdrawing from Wimbledon due to breathing difficulties.
The US Open winner was also targeted by a stalker that same year, making her feel unsafe in her own home.
In 2022, Bromley Magistrates’ Court heard that Amrit Magar, 35, left the venue aged 19 feeling she was “constantly looking over his shoulder”.
Magar, from Harrow, north-west London, was also ordered to wear an electronic tag and given a five-year restraining order.
When Threat Matrix detects a “fixed threat,” its open source intelligence (OSINT) researchers will seek to unmask the criminal’s full identity and geography.
They will then carry out a rapid risk assessment and, if deemed necessary, raise the issue with All England Club and player security, as well as the police.
The innovative service will also be in constant contact with social media platforms to inform them of abuse and also to facilitate the removal of offensive content.
Threat Matrix has already begun work at Wimbledon this year, protecting players (some of whom are as young as 15) who competed in last week’s qualifiers.
Last month, while in Melbourne preparing for the Australian Open, the Grand Slam winner told officials by phone: “Ever since all this happened, I’ve been feeling scared. I feel very apprehensive about going out, especially if I’m alone.”
Magar, from Harrow, north-west London, turned up at Raducanu’s home and left gifts on the porch, including some flowers with a written note (pictured).
Having located her address, Magar once drew a map (above) illustrating the 23 miles he had walked from Edgware, north London, in the hope of finding her.
Above, Magar was caught on the doorstep camera at the Raducanu family home. He was found guilty of stalking at Bromley Magistrates’ Court yesterday. He will be sentenced next month.
Bosses said they expected some of the worst offenders to be players who are angry at losing a bet or are trying to get a player off their game to improve their odds.
Jonathan Hirshler, co-founder and CEO of Signify, said the service has already been well received by tennis players in general.
‘Many of them have said: ‘Thank you, this is the first time someone has helped us.’
“It really makes a difference to the player, they just want to know that something is being done and it takes the pressure off them and allows them to concentrate on their game.”
He added that if the team detects that a particular player is being particularly targeted, they will not hesitate to alert the Club.
“We could contact the relevant people and tell them that a particular player may need additional support or monitoring etc.,” he said.
Threat Matrix also offers a unique personalized service that provides support to players who receive abuse or threats via private direct messages.
The system, which operates in 35 languages, has already been used by players and referees at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Rugby World Cup.