In a groundbreaking move to combat online harassment, the ATP, in collaboration with Tennis Data Innovations (TDI) and Sportradar, has launched a new initiative named Safe Sport. This program is designed to protect professional tennis players from the increasing threat of internet abuse by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) moderation, educational resources, and investigative services into a comprehensive protective framework.
As of this month, the Safe Sport service is available to the Top 250 ATP singles players and the Top 50 doubles players, offering them a free, opt-in solution. Utilizing advanced AI technology from Arwen AI, a Sportradar partner, the service scans players’ social media accounts across 29 languages to detect and filter out spam, abusive comments, toxic language, and bot activity.
Once identified, harmful comments are immediately concealed, protecting both players and their followers from exposure to offensive content. Currently, Arwen processes around 600,000 comments daily, effectively safeguarding over 750 million followers on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok.
In addition to AI moderation, Sportradar’s dedicated intelligence team actively investigates threats and potentially illegal comments, aiming to trace these back to their sources and enforce accountability. Players also benefit from an educational program that provides guidance on handling abuse, minimizing online risks, and maintaining authenticity on social media.
The launch of Safe Sport marks ATP’s most comprehensive effort to date in addressing the persistent issue of online abuse, which is vital for ensuring the welfare of players in the digital age.
Andrew Azzopardi, ATP Director of Safeguarding, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “The ATP is dedicated to protecting players and their well-being. Addressing online abuse is a critical aspect of this commitment, as it significantly impacts the lives of modern athletes. Through this collaboration, tennis is taking a proactive role in tackling this issue and highlighting the detrimental effects of harmful online interactions on our communities. We are thankful for the support of TDI and the expertise of Sportradar in bringing this initiative to fruition.”