Caroline Garcia spoke out Wednesday about abusive online messages she has received after losing to unseeded Renata Zarazua, blaming “unhealthy gambling” among other reasons why she and other players are targeted by angry Internet users in a post on her Instagram account. Garcia also criticized social media platforms, saying that they do not do enough to filter abusive messages.
In articulating her criticism of online behavior fueled by degenerate gambling, Garcia likened the pervasive nature of the gambling industry and sports organizations’ promotion of them to previous eras where tobacco companies were major advertisers at sporting events.
“Tournaments and the sport keeps partnering with betting companies, which keep attracting new people to unhealthy betting,” she wrote. “The days of cigarette brands sponsoring sports are long gone. Yet, here we are promoting betting companies, which actively destroy the life of some people.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not …