French Open hopes AI can help tennis players block death threats, other social media hate

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

PARIS (AP) — The group that runs the French Open tennis tournament has hired an artificial intelligence company to monitor players’ social media accounts in a bid to try to protect athletes from cyberbullying. Several players say they receive death threats via apps after they lose matches. Some say the vitriol is also directed at their family members. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 champion at the U.S. Open and 2018 runner-up at Roland Garros, says she often deals with racist messages directed at her online.