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Tennis Legend Rejects $270K Sponsorship from Gambling Company

Caroline Garcia issued a statement explaining why she turned down $270,000 from a gambling company.
Pat Benson|
Caroline Garcia promoted her Tennis Insider Club podcast at Roland Garros.
Caroline Garcia promoted her Tennis Insider Club podcast at Roland Garros. | IMAGO / MAXPPP

Almost every day of the ATP and WTA season, tennis players share screenshots on social media of the hate they receive from disgruntled gamblers.

It has become an all-too-common occurrence, especially for lower-ranked players who already face long odds of winning tournaments. In December 2024, the WTA spearheaded a multi-agency crackdown on online abuse targeting tennis players.

In June 2025, the WTA and ITF issued a new report revealing that gambling-related anger fuels a majority of online threats.

On Sunday morning, retired women's tennis player Caroline Garcia put her money where her mouth is by rejecting a significant sponsorship opportunity for her podcast, Tennis Insider Club.

Garcia explained why she turned down a $270,000 sponsorship offer from a gambling company for her podcast. "It's a huge amount of money, especially for an independent sports show and for me, someone who just retired from pro tennis," Garcia acknowledged in her statement.

She went on to explain her reasoning, "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 32-year-old explained, "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."

Garcia does not want to participate in the normalizing of hateful behavior in the sport. She does not view this as a moral crusade, nor does she judge anyone who bets casually or athletes who accept betting sponsors.

"Our mission is to tell real stories from inside tennis, inspire people, and grow the sport in a way that is healthy for athletes and fans. Taking betting money would move us in the opposite direction," explained Garcia.

"And if we expect athletes to trust us enough to be vulnerable on the podcast, to share their fears, doubts, and mental health battles, then we need to show them that we choose values over money."

She concluded her statement with a vision for the future of the podcast, " We will find partners who believe in that vision, who want to grow with us, not exploit the pressure athletes already face. Thank you for supporting what we are building. We are just getting started. And we are doing it the right way."

Garcia announced her retirement in May, just a few days before Roland Garros. Her final match was at the 2025 US Open. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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