ATP Safe Sport reports first-year results in fight against online abuse

ATP Tour

ATP Safe Sport reports first-year results in fight against online abuse

Safe Sport uses real-time AI to detect and hide abusive content across players’ social media accounts

ATP Safe Sport was developed in partnership with Tennis Data Innovations (TDI), sports technology company Sportradar and Arwen AI. By Press Release

In its debut year, the ATP’s Safe Sport initiative has scanned more than 3.1 million social media comments, flagging over 162,000 targeted at 245 players as “severe” and hiding abusive comments as they are detected, in a bid to shield the leading ATP players from harmful digital content.

Developed in partnership with Tennis Data Innovations (TDI), sports technology company Sportradar, and Arwen AI, Safe Sport uses real-time AI to detect and hide abusive content across players’ social media accounts. The service launched in July 2024 and is available to Group 1 players (top 250 singles and top 50 doubles). The initiative also covers ATP’s own social media channels, providing comprehensive protection for players and fans more broadly.

“Safe Sport creates a healthier online environment, free from hateful comments and negative messages. This way my social media presence is defined by who I am, not by my performance on the court,” said Dušan Lajović, ATP Player Advisory Council member.

Andrew Azzopardi, ATP Director of Safeguarding, said: “Safe Sport has fundamentally changed how we protect our athletes online. More than 1 in 10 comments on players’ posts were abusive - rising to 50% in extreme cases. While it won’t eliminate abuse overnight, it’s our first line of defence. Safeguarding player wellbeing is a long-term commitment."

Sportradar’s Integrity Services team escalated over 3,300 comments during the year, identifying 68 perpetrators and initiating 28 law enforcement referrals.

“Every comment is seen, every threat is taken seriously,” said Adam Pennock, Sportradar VP Risk & Investigations. “Our commitment to investigate, identify and sanction perpetrators increasingly demonstrates there are real-world consequences to online actions.”

Beyond social media, Safe Sport now supports players facing email threats, impersonation, deepfakes, and scams. The program is also expanding its educational reach via ATP University, promoting digital literacy and proactive self-protection for players.

Looking ahead, ATP will enhance incident response protocols, broaden protections, and advocate for greater platform accountability - keeping athlete safety and mental health a top priority in the digital age.

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