Racism directed at athletes is getting worse, and software designed to protect them from abuse has little impact, former US Open champion Sloane Stephens said on Monday.
Stephens, speaking after her straight-sets victory over Karolina Pliskova in the French Open first round, said she has had to endure it her whole career.
“Yes, it’s obviously been a problem my entire career,” said Stephens, who is Black and turned professional in 2009. “It has never stopped. If anything, it’s only gotten worse.”
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Stephens did not go into specific details but said even software designed to block racist comments could not stop it.
“I did hear about the software [which is available at the French Open]. I have not used it,” she said. “I have a lot of obviously 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.”
Athletes in all sports are regularly confronted with racist comments and behavior, with Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior the most notable recent case.
Vinícius was on the receiving end of racist chants at Valencia‘s Mestalla stadium last week, and his complaints about Spain and LaLiga not doing enough to fight racism sparked a worldwide wave of support and national debate in Spain.
In the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur worked this month with the Metropolitan Police to investigate an allegation of racial abuse toward South Korean forward Son Heung-Min.
Stephens said the racism had reached a worrying level.
“I mean, obviously when there is FBI investigations going on with what people are saying to you online, it’s very serious,” said the 30-year-old American.
Stephens did not say whether she was referring to a specific case.
“Obviously it’s been something that I have dealt with my whole career,” she said. “I think that, like I said, it’s only continued to get worse, and people online have the free rein to say and do whatever they want behind fake pages, which is obviously very troublesome.
“It’s something I have had to deal with my whole career and something I will continue to deal with, I’m sure. That’s that.”
