French Open 2023: Sloane Stephens says abuse of tennis players is getting worse

Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens says the abuse of tennis players is getting “worse” and attempts to thwart it make little difference.

The technology aims to filter out abuse on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

“It’s been a problem my entire career,” American Stephens said after her first-round win at Roland Garros.

“It has never stopped. If anything, it’s only gotten worse.

“I did hear about the software. I have not used it. I have a lot of key words banned on Instagram and all of these things, but that doesn’t stop someone from just typing in an asterisk or typing it in a different way, which obviously software most of the time doesn’t catch.”

The French Open is the first of the four Grand Slams to introduce such a scheme, with French Tennis Federation CEO Caroline Flaissier saying players’ mental health is a “priority for Roland Garros”.

Stephens and Svitolina underline credentials

Monday marked day two of the French Open as players continued to get their campaigns under way in Paris, with both Stephens and Elina Svitolina showing why they are among the tournament’s most dangerous unseeded players.

Facing Czech 16th seed and two-time Grand Slam finalist Karolina Pliskova, Stephens won what had been an eye-catching first-round encounter 6-0 6-4.

Runner-up in Paris in 2018, Stephens was not ranked high enough to be seeded when the draw was made last week but is now 30th, which would have been enough for a seeding.

Her rise up the standings came amid improving form on clay, winning her first WTA 125 title in San-Malo earlier in May and reaching the semi-finals in Morocco last week.

Speaking about her win over Pliskova on Court Philippe Chatrier, Stephens said it was “one of my favourite tournaments and one of my favourite courts to play on”.

She will face Russian Varvara Gracheva in the second round, while Svitolina will take on Australian qualifier Storm Hunter.

The Ukrainian, making her Grand Slam return following her daughter’s birth in October, defeated Italy’s 26th seed Martina Trevisan 6-2 6-2.

Svitolina, who took a break from tennis before falling pregnant, citing the mental toll of the Russian invasion on her home country, won her 17th WTA title – and the first since becoming a mother – in Strasbourg on Saturday.

The 28-year-old, married to French tennis player Gael Monfils, said: “It’s special because our baby is half French, half Ukrainian. so we are a French-Ukrainian family and maybe one day you’re going to see her here playing some tennis so it’s going to be fun.”

What else happened in the women’s draw on day two?

Stephens’ US compatriot Madison Keys also advanced to the second round with a 6-1 3-6 6-1 win against Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, while 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia beat Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2 6-2.

There was a shock defeat for 12th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland as she lost 6-3 2-6 6-4 to Russian lucky loser Elina Avanesyan.

Later on Monday, French fifth seed Carolina Garcia opens her campaign against China’s Wang Xiyu, while two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko are also in action.