Aneke Rune, the mother of Holger Rune, recently discussed the negative aspects of social media and stated that the ATP must be responsible for putting an end to the hatred that tennis players face.
Rune has been the victim of criticism on social media due to the sharp decline in results. The 20-year-old’s mother Aneke recently disclosed the degree of online abuse he faces. She cited the negative effects of social media, pointing out that although it is vital for the younger generation, hate speech is often propagated by those using fake accounts on the internet.
Aneke expressed her thoughts in the latest podcast and said: “I read a lot of analysis about social media. We cannot get rid of it because it’s part of the interaction for young people, which is good. It’s a way for the fans to interact with their idols, which is super good. The bad thing about social media is, there are so many fake accounts that write sh*t.”
She added: “If it was like an honest profile saying, ‘I dislike what you do,’ then it’s fair. But, in nine out of 10, it’s like fake profiles that go write whatever they like. And it’s a really nasty thing – it can be death threats; it can be a lot of bad things they write.”
Aneke went on to say that while she accepts that some people have personal feelings about players, it is inappropriate for fake profiles to make offensive remarks and issue death threats.
She explained: “Normally we block all this, so he doesn’t have to see it, and the rest of them, we go to the policemen – there are some serious threats once in a while, and they are quite serious about it, they follow it through.”
Aneke stated that the ATP ought to take accountability and remove the hateful comments from their social media profiles. She concluded her discussion and said: “It should be possible to make someone responsible. If ATP runs an Instagram site, they should be able to block whatever is hateful. Hate is not part of the serious debate. I think the one who runs the site has an obligation to block these ones out.”
Holger Rune in 2023
At the moment ranked no.6, Rune played his last match on the 18th of October when he lost to world no.53 Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(3) 6-2 in the 2nd round in Stockholm (draw).
This year Holger has a compiled 38-20 win-loss record. Rune clinched 1 title in Munich. The Dane got to the final in Monte-Carlo and Rome.
He is also scheduled to play in Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) after Basel. The main draw will start on the 23rd of October.