After tennis star Sloane Stephens lost to Germany’s Angelique Kerber at the U.S. Open this weekend, she was deluged with hateful and even violent messages that she shared on Instagram. “This type of hate is so exhausting and never ending,” she wrote. “This isn’t talked about enough but it really freaking sucks.” Stephens, 28, won the U.S. Open in 2017 and defeated friend Coco Gauff in the second round this year. After Saturday’s third-round loss, she said she got 2,000 vile messages. “Sloane has courageously brought to the forefront an issue that many modern day athletes are forced to deal with throughout their careers,” the U.S. Tennis Association said in response to her post. “The unfortunate reality is that this type of vitriol and hate is far too commonplace on social media platforms.”
