Who's Protecting Tennis Players? WTA's Lindsay Brandon on Online Abuse, Gambling & More
Served with Andy RoddickShow Notes
Join 4-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters and tennis reporter Blair Henley as they sit down with WTA Director of Safeguarding & Integrity Lindsay Brandon for an inside look at the fight to protect tennis players. Brandon reveals how the WTA's Threat Matrix program identifies online abusers, why angry gamblers are responsible for much of the harassment, and how betting platforms are beginning to ban offenders. The trio discusses recent online abuse targeting Coco Gauff and Iva Jovic, safeguarding concerns involving coaches and families, and the challenges of holding social media platforms accountable. Plus, Kim reflects on how player safety has evolved since her time on tour and what still needs to change.
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⏰ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Welcome to Love All
0:20 Jannik Sinner hires Magnus Norman
4:32 Sinner's return & Juan Carlos Ferrero's coaching future
5:46 Lindsay Brandon, WTA’s Director of Safeguarding & Integrity joins Love All
8:46 Why the WTA created a safeguarding department
11:10 Monitoring abuse from coaches, parents & team members
14:07 Protecting players who don't recognize abusive relationships
18:16 How the WTA investigates concerns & anonymous reports
23:07 Holding coaches accountable & enforcing safeguarding standards
26:16 Kim reflects on player safety during her career
28:19 Why reports of abuse are increasing on the WTA Tour
31:02 Lindsay's role in anti-doping & player education
32:55 Threat Matrix: How the WTA fights online abuse
36:48 How players are protected from abusive messages
39:45 Threat Matrix results: Removing serious online abusers
40:47 How abusive posts and accounts get removed
43:48 Why aren't social media platforms doing more?
46:26 The Bad Actor Program: Banning abusive gamblers
49:57 Holding betting platforms accountable
52:24 The challenges of stopping international gamblers
54:23 Sports betting revenue vs. player safety
57:20 Why lower-ranked players may be more vulnerable to online abuse
1:00:04 Can the WTA actually stop online harassment?
1:06:41 Kim & Blair react to the WTA's player protection efforts
1:09:48 Closing thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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