Caroline Garcia has revealed that she turned down a $270,000 sponsorship proposal from a betting company for her podcast, The Tennis Insider Club. The newly retired French star explained that she did not want to associate her project with gambling, which she believes has caused significant harm to tennis players.
Launch of The Tennis Insider Club
Garcia, who played her final professional tournament at the 2025 US Open, started her podcast in 2024 alongside her husband Borja Duran. Since its launch, the show has featured prominent guests from the tennis world, including players, coaches, and agents. The podcast has become a space for open conversations about the challenges athletes face both on and off the court.
The impact of gambling on players
For years, tennis players have spoken about the abuse they receive on social media, often from bettors frustrated by losing money. Many athletes have admitted that reading such messages is emotionally draining, with some even reporting threats. Garcia herself has experienced this kind of abuse and said it shaped her decision to reject the sponsorship.
Garcia’s explanation
Garcia shared her reasoning in detail on X. “Over the past two years of interviewing players, coaches, agents, and parents, one theme keeps coming back again and again: betting has become one of the biggest sources of pressure, abuse, and hate in modern sport,”
the 2022 US Open semifinalist wrote.She continued: “Every player, from Top 10 stars to ITF grinders, has stories. DMs full of insults after a match. People demanding money back because they lost a bet. Even death threats. Not because of sport. Because of gambling. I do not want Tennis Insider Club to contribute, even indirectly, to a system that fuels addiction, destroys lives, and turns athletes into daily targets.”
Choosing integrity over money
Garcia acknowledged that the offer was financially significant but insisted that her values came first. “$270k is a lot. But building something long term, honest, and good for the sport is worth more,” former world No. 4 Garcia said.
By rejecting the deal, Garcia reinforced her commitment to keeping The Tennis Insider Club free from gambling associations. Her stance highlights the growing conversation in tennis about the negative effects of betting culture and the importance of protecting athletes from its consequences.