Tennis star Sloane Stephens reminded fans she is “human” after she said she was bombarded by abusive messages.
Stephens, 28, wrote in an Instagram story that she got more than 2,000 “messages of abuse/anger” following her loss Friday at the U.S. Open tournament in Queens, according to CNN.
“This type of hate is so exhausting and never ending,” she wrote. “This isn’t talked about enough, but it freaking sucks.”
Stephens lost to Angelique Kerber in the third-round of the event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing.
She said one of the messages came from someone who threatened to “find you and destroy your leg so hard that you can’t walk.”
Stephens, who won the singles title at the U.S. Open in 2017, shared a follow-up post Sunday thanking her supporters.
“Your messages are so kind and thoughtful!” she wrote. “I’m so grateful for my family, friends and fans — I feel so loved, encouraged and uplifted.”
She added that she hopes “this conversation continues.”
