Tennis star receives hate messages after US Open loss

Tennis Star Sloane Stephens said she received more than 2,000 abusive messages and comments on her Instagram following her third round loss to Angelique Kerber at the US Open on Friday night, something she said is “so exhausting and never ending.”

Stephens lost to Kerber 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, in their third round match on Friday at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York. Since that loss, she shared on her Instagram story on Saturday, her social media has been flooded with abusive messages.

"This isn't talked about enough, but it really freaking sucks," Stephens wrote on Instagram the next day after the match.

Stephens posted screenshots of the abusive messages saying they were "hard to read" but she felt she had to share to let fans see the ordeal athletes, especially female athletes, go through after a loss. She ended her posts sharing the love that she receives from her team and family, which helps her get through her losses.

"This type of hate is so exhausting and never ending," Stephens said. "I'm happy to have people in my corner who support me. I'm choosing positive vibes over negative ones."

"I choose to show you guys happiness on here, but it's not always smiles and roses."

The 28-year-old tennis star from Florida is ranked 66th in the world. She beat Serena Williams in 2013, won the US Open in 2017, and went on to become ranked third in the world after Wimbledon in 2018.

Stephens sharing these online comments shows some of the mental reasons why recently a lot of athletes have been coming out about their mental health lately.