Flavio Cobolli on the shameful insults he received on social media: “They wished him cancer”
Flavio Cobolli has been the target of insults on social media after being eliminated in his opening match at the ATP tournament in Shanghai. The incident was reported by his father and coach, Stefano Cobolli, who shared a comment on Instagram containing extremely offensive language directed at his son, who was defeated by French player Adrian Mannarino in his opening match at the Chinese tournament.
“Forget the Finals—your son should get cancer and die, you ugly b….” This was the content of the message posted online, traced to an account apparently belonging to a young girl, though it cannot be ruled out that it is a fake profile. Dad Cobolli’s response was swift. Along with expressing solidarity with his son, Stefano issued an appeal against the hatred that all too often accompanies athletes’ performances on social media.
“Good job, Fla—you fought hard and gave it your all. Keep your head up for the next one. I usually try to delete these comments without giving them a second thought—there are so many of them—but something has to be done! Maybe delete social media? That’s certainly one solution, and I’ll think about it. For now, I still feel compelled to fight this scourge if possible, and maybe that young lady will think twice next time,” he wrote.
The tennis player’s father then broadened the discussion, urging families to pay closer attention to their children’s behavior on digital platforms. The target of his words is not only the author of the comment but a phenomenon that risks having consequences even for those who lack the tools to deal with it: “I hope this message reaches the parents of this girl and of the many young people who misuse this platform. We are strong, we are sportspeople, and we overcome obstacles far greater than an Instagram comment, but there are many people who could suffer because of it, and that’s not right!” Hence her final appeal: “So, dear parents, let’s keep an eye on what our kids are doing on social media too—I think it’s important.”
