Cyberbullying: Coco Gauff's Simple Fix

Defending U.S. Open Champion Coco Gauff shares her coping mechanism for dealing with cyberbullying: the block button.

Coco Gauff, the defending U.S. Open Champion, has a straightforward solution to the pervasive problem of cyberbullying: block the bullies. After her second-round victory over Tatjana Maria on Wednesday, Gauff was questioned about the issue, which arose when French tennis player Caroline Garcia shared a lengthy social media post detailing the abuse athletes endure and its impact on their mental well-being.

Garcia shared several "hate" messages she received after losing matches. "These are some of the messages I received lately after losing some matches. Just a few of them," Garcia wrote on X. "There’s hundreds. And now, being 30 years old, although they still hurt, because at the end of the day, I’m just a normal girl working really hard and trying my best, I have tools and have done work to protect myself from this hate. But still, this is not ok."

Cyberbullying: Coco Gauff's Simple Fix

Gauff, upon learning about Garcia's post, expressed agreement with her perspective.

"It's tough because you hear a lot of nasty things, and people talk about your appearance, your family's appearance, and all these things," Gauff said. "If you are already struggling with your own mental issues and, on top of that, you have people digging deeper, it is tough."

Cyberbullying: Coco Gauff's Simple Fix

Gauff acknowledged limiting her social media usage, particularly avoiding X. However, her primary defense mechanism remains blocking offensive or abusive accounts, despite its limitations.

"I personally just block. I'm someone, I will literally spend 30 minutes blocking all the people. I really don't care," she said.  "I'm entitled not to read negative things about myself. Just as you're entitled to write that, I'm entitled to block it. It is unfortunate. Obviously, the block can only do so much."

Cyberbullying: Coco Gauff's Simple Fix

Gauff expressed hope that technological advancements will provide a more effective solution to cyberbullying. The French Open partnered with a company in 2022 to utilize artificial intelligence to filter players' social media accounts. Additionally, the organizers of the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the women's tour, and the ITF Tour announced plans in December to monitor for "abusive and threatening content" on various social media platforms.

"Hopefully the Al stuff can help in the future," Gauff said.

Gauff's stance on cyberbullying is a testament to the need for individuals to protect their mental health and well-being. By utilizing tools such as blocking and limiting social media consumption, athletes can minimize the impact of online harassment and maintain their focus on their sport and personal growth.