British player talks about receiving toxic messages
‘I don’t think there’s anything off the cards now’
The British No 2, Katie Boulter, has revealed the level of abuse aimed at some players and said she and her family have received death threats. Boulter shared her experiences with BBC Sport to highlight players receiving toxic messages online.
The 28-year-old’s examples included a message telling her to buy “candles and a coffin for your entire family” with a reference to her “grandmother’s grave if she’s not dead by tomorrow”, one stating she should “go to hell” as she had cost the poster money and another stating “hope you get cancer”. In 2014, Boulter detailed the harassment that can accompany a higher profile in the game.
“I just wonder who the person is that has sent that,” she said. “I don’t think it’s something that I would ever say to my worst enemy. It’s just an awful, awful thing to say to anyone. It’s horrible.”
