Tennis star Sloane Stephens, ranked no. 66 in the world, shares some of 2,000 vile Instagram messages she received threatening to cripple and rape her after her defeat in the US Open
American tennis star Sloane Stephens has shared some of the sickening and threatening messages that she received following her third-round defeat during the US Open on Friday.
'This isn't talked about enough, but it really freaking sucks,' Stephens wrote on Instagram the next day.
The terrifying messages, which used racist and sexist language, called for her to be kidnapped, raped, and crippled.
One chilling comment threatened to 'find you and destroy your leg so hard that you can't walk anymore. I hope you enjoyed your last day on court.'
Instagram user @ibetthesquares, who told the tennis star he wished she got 'raped', also told Sloane, 'How about less time posing for pictures like a f**king slut and more time practicing you f**king c**t u(sic) can't win his(sic) serve to save your f**king life you dirty wh*re.'
Stephens said that there were more than 2,000 similar messages following the tennis star's three-set loss to Angelique Kerber of Germany at the US Open on Friday.
American tennis star Sloane Stephens has shared some of the sickening and threatening messages that she received following her third-round defeat during the US Open on Friday. She is pictured after her loss to Angelique Kerber
Stephens said that there were more than 2,000 similar messages following the tennis star's three-set loss to Angelique Kerber of Germany (pictured shaking hands with Sloane after their match) at the US Open on Friday
Stephens posted screenshots of the abusive messages saying they were 'hard to read' but she felt she had to share to let fans see the ordeal athletes, especially female athletes, go through after a loss.
'This type of hate is so exhausting and never ending,' Stephens said. 'I'm happy to have people in my corner who support me. I'm choosing positive vibes over negative ones.'
'I choose to show you guys happiness on here, but it's not always smiles and roses.'
She ended her posts sharing the love that she receives from her team and family that helps her get through her losses.
The 28-year-old tennis star from Florida is ranked 66th in the world. She beat Serena Williams in 2013, won the US Open in 2017, and went on to become ranked third in the world after Wimbledon in 2018.
Stephens posted screenshots of the abusive messages saying they were 'hard to read' but she felt she had to share to let fans see the ordeal athletes, especially female athletes, go through after a loss
One chilling comment threatened to 'find you and destroy your leg so hard that you can't walk anymore. I hope you enjoyed your last day on court'
Instagram user @ibetthesquares, who told the tennis star he wished she got 'raped', also told Sloane, 'How about less time posing for pictures like a f**king slut and more time practicing you f**king c**t u(sic) can't win his(sic) serve to save your f**king life you dirty wh*re.' Other messages used the clown icon to mock her
Stephens' transparency about the hate that she receives online comes as other athletes have begun sharing their struggles with maintaining their mental health along with their physical health.
Simone Biles pulled out of several competitions during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to focus on her mental health. Her decision was met with a lot of hate and disrespect.
Biles revealed that dropping out of multiple Olympic finals amid struggles with her mental health made her 'feel human' for the 'first time'.
The 24-year-old made the admission during an interview with her mother, Nellie Biles, during which she discussed her decision to withdraw from several events in Tokyo - having gone into this year's Games as the favorite to win almost every competition.
However, after completing just one event in the team final - a vault that she flubbed and nearly crash-landed on - Biles pulled out of the competition, explaining that she needed to 'focus on her mental health', and subsequently withdrew from the all-around, uneven bars, vault, and floor exercise line-ups.
Her decision sparked furious controversy online, with some praising her for prioritizing her mental health, while others accused the two-time Olympian of 'quitting' and 'abandoning' her teammates.
'This isn't talked about enough, but it really freaking sucks,' Stephens wrote on Instagram the next day
She also shared the positive messages from her teammates
Naomi Osaka also prioritized her mental health when she withdrew from the French Open in May after boycotting the media.
She had previously announced that she would refuse to attend press conferences on the grounds that they are injurious to her mental health. She said that the 'whole situation kicks a person while they are down' and she 'does not understand the reasoning behind it'.
Osaka's statement in full read: 'Hey everyone - hope you're all doing well, I'm writing this to say I'm not going to do any press during Roland Garros.
'I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one.
'We're often sat there and asked questions that we've been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I'm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.
Stephens, of the United States, reacts during a match against Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the third round of the US Open tennis championships
Stephens serves to Germany's Angelique Kerber during their 2021 US Open Tennis tournament women's singles third round match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 3
Kerber of Germany hits to Sloane Stephens of the United States on day five of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
'I've watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have as well. I believe that whole situation is kicking a person while they're down and I don't understand the reasoning behind it.
'Me not doing press is nothing personal to the tournament and a couple journalists have interviewed me since I was young so I have a friendly relationship with most of them.
'However, if the organizations think that they can just keep saying "do press or you're gonna be fined", and continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes that are the centerpiece of their cooperation then I just gotta laugh.
Stephens' transparency about the hate that she receives online comes as other athletes have begun sharing their struggles with maintaining their mental health along with their physical health. Simone Biles pulled out of several competitions during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to focus on her mental health. Her decision was met with a lot of hate and disrespect
'Anyways, I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity.'
She then withdrew from the competition due to the backlash she received for her decision to boycott the press conferences.
Defended her controversial decision to refuse her media obligations at the French Open, saying she hopes it helped people to see that 'athletes are still humans' - while starring on the cover of Women's Health magazine.
The 23-year-old spoke to the publication about the mental health struggles that led her to pull out of the Grand Slam tournament in May - while detailing the steps she has taken to 'protect' her wellbeing in the wake of the controversy.
According to Women's Health writer Liz Plosser, who spoke to Osaka for the piece that accompanies her cover shoot, the tennis star insisted on conducting her interview 'entirely over email', which was a 'nonnegotiable, mental-health protective measure' that she put in place after her withdrawal from the French Open.
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