Andy Murray has made significant decisions regarding his family life.
Andy Murray has shared that he and his wife Kim are deliberately keeping their four children off social media, believing the platforms to be potentially harmful. Meanwhile, British tennis star Katie Boulter recently spoke out about the wave of abuse she faces after matches, prompting widespread support from the sports world.
The British No. 1 revealed she had received “disgusting” messages, mostly from gamblers who sent her horrific death threats. In the days that followed, more tennis players came forward with similar experiences, including Andy Murray, who acknowledged facing backlash himself even after retiring at the previous year’s Olympics.
Reflecting on the “hostility” he faced early in his career and how he initially struggled with the abuse, Murray told the BBC that he believes it’s always a good thing when someone speaks out, adding that it was great to see Katie share her experience.
Athletes from various sports have been speaking out about this issue for quite some time, yet little progress has been made. Hopefully, meaningful action will be taken soon.
The 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon champion confessed he doesn’t know the exact solution to the issue but revealed that he and his wife have made a conscious decision to keep their four children away from social media.
“To be honest, I’m not sure,” a disheartened Murray admitted. “My wife and I are making an effort to keep our kids away from social media until they’re much older, as I believe it can be quite harmful.
Murray’s children, who range in age from four to nine, are still years away from meeting the minimum age requirement of 13 set by some social media platforms.
The Government is in the process of implementing the Online Safety Act, which aims to shield users from illegal or harmful content and enforce tougher regulations to safeguard children online.
However, data from the WTA Tour showed that professional female players received over 8,000 abusive messages last year alone, leading to growing demands for tech leaders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to take stronger action.
Murray went on to say, “I’m not sure who should be held accountable whether it’s the government that needs to step up, or if it’s people like Elon Musk, the owner of X, who could do more to prevent these messages from reaching individuals.
I’m not just referring to athletes, but that leads into the broader debate about free speech, which makes the issue even more complex.
The Scottish star also advised athletes to consider avoiding comments and staying off their phones right after matches, but acknowledged that the responsibility to prevent online abuse shouldn’t fall solely on the players.