Top men’s tennis players were shielded from more than 162,000 social media comments containing “severe” abuse during the first year of the artificial intelligence-powered ATP Safe Sport initiative, the sport’s governing body has announced.

The abusive messages, which targeted 245 players, were found and then hidden in real time as the system scanned more than 3.1 million comments for harmful digital content following its launch in July 2024.

“Safe Sport creates a healthier online environment, free from hateful comments and negative messages,” said Serb Dusan Lajovic, the ATP Player Advisory Council member said on Thursday.

“This way, my social media presence is defined by who I am, not by my performance on the court.”

Tennis players, like many athletes, often have to deal with the wrat

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