Racism is one abhorrent aspect of society that has become a part of tennis. There have been many instances of fans who racially abuse the players. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open winner, is someone who has been a victim of such abuse. But she has received support from players worldwide, including the WTA legend Martina Navratilova. Navratilova’s response came after Stephens talked about the dissatisfaction she faced with the French Open’s attempt at blocking abuse.

Roland Garros executives designed a software in order to block the racist comments launched by tennis followers. Stephens used it to block certain keywords on her social media but some comments still passed through the software. Stephens said that it is easy to bypass that software by modifying the blocked keyword slightly with an asterisk or another symbol. 

Martina Navratilova speaks in support of Sloane Stephens

As several news outlets cover the circumstances faced by Sloane Stephens, athletes worldwide are supporting the players. In an interview with Reuters, the American player said that it has only grown stronger. She is not alone in receiving such abuse, as stars such as Venus Williams and Serena Williams have also gone through it. 

While there were fewer voices supporting them back then, more athletes have stepped in now and recognized that the issue will increase until an effort is made to demolish it. The Czech-American tennis legend Martina Navratilova is one player who is in the wave of support.

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Read more – WATCH: Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff And Others Rally To Fight Against Racism

She made her support public on Twitter and said that social media platforms need to improve their functioning. “This is just disgusting- these social platforms must do better!” was the caption of the post. 

The FBI steps in to tackle the issue

Stephens is a player who has shown a lot of prospects. But no amount of talent has ensured that she would be free of abuse. Like the Williams sisters, she has become a target for vile comments. Stephens also said that the intensity of the issues has increased to such a level that the FBI itself had to step in and investigate the matter.

Stephens is not the only one who is facing such issues, with the voices of several athletes coming out for facing such maltreatment in the present and the past, it further validates the circumstances faced by others. 

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