NEW YORK – After her disappointing US Open defeat at the hands of Britain’s Emma Raducanu in live series, Shelby Rogers said she will now have to deal with “nine million death threats” on her accounts of social networks of strangers who are not satisfied with their loss.
Speaking of the spotlight he has experienced after his massive third-round win over world number 1 Ashleigh Barty, Rogers said he wished “social media didn’t exist.”
“Obviously, we appreciate the attention right now, but then you have it today and I will have nine million death threats and nothing,” he told the post-match press conference. “It’s very polarizing, one end to the other very quickly.”
Rogers said that while he doesn’t like social media, he’s now an important part of marketing and needs to post certain things.
“You could probably go through my profile right now – I’m probably a‘ fat pig ’and words I can’t say right now,” Rogers said. “But, it’s what it is. You try to ignore it, and it’s the unfortunate side of any sport and what we do.”
She said she didn’t want to pay attention to the comments of people posting about her from her parents’ basement, but “sometimes it hits you in the head.”
“Social media can’t control what I’m doing and how my training will progress, but I wish it didn’t exist. It’s very hard.”
Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens also spoke out about receiving abusive and harassing messages on Instagram after her third-round defeat to Angelique Kerber, calling her “exhausting and endless.”