Tennis star Caroline Garcia announced on Sunday that she has turned down a $270,000 sponsorship offer from a sports betting operator for her podcast. She noted in her X post that it is a “huge amount of money,” especially as she has only just retired from playing:
She explained that the biggest reason for rejecting the deal was due to betting becoming “one of the biggest sources of pressure, abuse, and hate in modern sport.” Garcia has talked to many players, agents, parents, and coaches over the past two years on the “Tennis Insider Club” podcast and said that they all have gambling-related stories. That includes players near the top of the rankings to the small-tour grinders.
abuse ranges from insulting DMs to death threats and people asking for their money back
The abuse ranges from insulting DMs to death threats and people asking for their money back. The 32-year-old remarked that betting companies spend big money on sponsorships because they work. She emphasized that it normalizes online gambling and that she does not want to be a part of that movement.
The France native clarified that she does not judge anyone who gambles or other athletes who accept betting-related sponsorships. Garcia retired in August after the US Open, having won 11 titles during her career. She hosts the “Tennis Insider Club” podcast with her husband.
