Caroline Garcia says she turned down $270,000 sponsorship offer from betting company for podcast

Since former world No. 4 Caroline Garcia and her now-husband Borja Duran launched the Tennis Insider Club podcast last year, the show has become a destination for top players and other big names around the sport to pull back the curtain on their lives and careers, offering an unfiltered perspective on professional tennis from a player who's lived it.

But, as Garcia confessed this week, its popularity has also drum up some unwanted attention.

In a lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, Garcia alleged that the couple turned down a $270,000 sponsorship offer for the podcast from an unnamed gambling company, stating her belief that the industry has "become one of the biggest sources of pressure, abuse, and hate in modern sport."

A 2024 report by Reuters alleged that disgruntled bettors were responsible for nearly half of the abusive comments that tennis players receive on social media—an epidemic that has led to tennis' governing bodies coming together in an attempt to combat the problem.

"Every player ... has stories," Garcia affirmed, and later continued: "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."

The 31-year-old, who retired from the tour after a first-round loss at the US Open, spoke candidly in the months ahead of her retirement about the mental health struggles she experienced in her time on tour. In a lengthy post on X last summer, she detailed some of the "hundreds" of abusive messages she received after a loss, and speculated whether an increase in partnerships between tennis tournaments and gambling companies has contributed to a rise in such behavior.

"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 continued on Sunday.

Garcia's announcement was met with praise from peers including International Tennis Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters, French Billie Jean King Cup teammate Alizé Cornet, and player-turned-broadcaster Chris Eubanks.

Read more: Gael Monfils claps back at abusive bettors: 'Who’s the dumbest between you and me’

"Such a strong stance," Cornet wrote. "We need more of this."

"I am not judging anyone who bets casually, or athletes who accept betting sponsors," Garcia continued. "I am simply choosing what we want to stand for, and what we do not want to amplify.

"$270[,000] is a lot. But building something long term, honest, and good for the sport is worth more. We will find partners who believe in that vision, who want to grow with us, not exploit the pressure athletes already face."