British pro Kyle Edmund suffered a 6-4, 7-6 (5) second-round defeat to Novak Djokovic at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. He also suffered an influx of crude, cruel, playground-level putdowns from detractors with literally far too much time on their hands.
"More satisfied customers following the BNPPO17 ATP World Tour," Edmund said later, pulling back the curtain on the throng of unhappy, likely gamblers who routinely post their vulgar derision to pro players' social media accounts.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other channels—they're all forums for obscene releases of frustration from sad souls sorely in need of more positive hobbies.
What's absurd about Edmund's instances of abuse—among all such instances, which are always ridiculous—is that he fell to Djokovic, a five-time Indian Wells singles champ who came into this event with a 19-match winning streak. Gamblers who bet against him at that particular stanza were themselves the fools, even though Edmund did go up a break in the second set.
Retired and active WTA players such as Madison Keys, Nicole Gibbs, Rebecca Marino and more have spoken out about the online trolling they've received. It's truly amazing what words some people will put their faces and names to, but it can be stopped. Every time you see a vulgar response online, do what you can by marking it "spam" or "inappropriate." Social media reviewers and those policing other such networks will take it from there.
Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.