ATP, TDI, and Sportradar Launch Safe Sport to Combat Online Abuse Against Tennis Players

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Tennis Data Innovations (TDI), and Sportradar have joined forces to introduce Safe Sport, a service aimed at addressing the online abuse of professional tennis players.

Safe Sport employs a variety of technologies and services, including artificial intelligence (AI), education, moderation, and investigation, to safeguard players. This service is available to the top 250 ATP singles players and the top 50-ranked doubles players at no cost and on an opt-in basis.

Sportradar and its partner, Arwen AI, provide the AI technology for Safe Sport. This AI tool monitors players’ social media for abusive comments, bots, and spam, automatically hiding flagged messages in 29 languages. Currently, Arwen AI processes 600,000 comments daily, protecting users on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok.

Additionally, Sportradar’s intelligence analysts will investigate comments that contain threats or criminal content to identify and hold accountable those responsible.

Players will also have access to educational materials on managing online abuse, maintaining online integrity, and mitigating online risks.

Commenting on the launch, ATP Director of Safeguarding Andrew Azzopardi stated:

“The ATP is committed to safeguarding players and their wellbeing. This includes taking a proactive stance against online abuse, which has become a very important issue in the lives of modern athletes. This collaboration will ensure that tennis is playing its part in tackling this issue and shining a light on the effects that harmful online discourse can have on our communities.”

Sportradar Integrity Services EVP Andreas Krannich added:

“We’re bringing together AI-driven auto-moderation, education, and investigative services for the first time. The Safe Sport solution offers players better protection from online harm, representing a significant leap forward in safeguarding mental and physical wellbeing, enabling them to concentrate on delivering their best performances.”

This launch is part of Sportradar’s multi-year partnership with TDI, announced in December, which provides the ATP with data, streaming rights, and media data rights for the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour.

Earlier this month, Sportradar also expanded its partnership with UEFA and announced plans to present at the Regulating the Game 2025 conference in Sydney, discussing ‘Effective Regulation Through Innovative Technological Solutions’.