In today’s digital era, where almost every sport is telling stories online, it seems like tennis is still struggling to adapt to new forms of digital content, according to Coco Gauff.
Taylor Fritz and his girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, recently brought up this problem when they called out the sport’s strict rules on online content. And now, Gauff also appears to be on the same page.
Taylor Fritz and Morgan Riddle Want Tennis To Step Up Its Digital Game
Fritz and Riddle recently raised an issue about tennis’ strict media rules. Being an influencer herself, Riddle has built a big online following by showing fans what life on tour looks like. But oftentimes, tournament rules come in between her content and her viewers.
Many events restrict where she can film and what she can film, which makes it harder for influencers and players alike to share behind-the-scenes moments and connect with a modern audience.
In a recent GQ interview, Fritz opened up about this struggle between players trying to build their personal brands and the rules set by tennis organizers. He said, “A lot of the tournaments are saying, ‘You either have to have won a Slam or have 1 or 2 million followers to even be allowed a videographer on tour, which I think is absurd.”
“How are you ever going to have a million followers if you don’t have someone capturing decent content to build your brand?” Fritz added.
Riddle, who uses her content to make tennis more relatable to new fans, is facing similar challenges. She shared that she has even received copyright strikes just for posting videos that include Fritz.
“I’ve gotten multiple copyright strikes against my account when I post videos of him,” she said. “In the last three years, the tournaments and the tour have gotten really strict with where you can film and where you can’t. I’m not allowed to have a camera in the box anymore.”
Morgan’s content connects with younger audiences who mostly consume short-form content on TikTok and Instagram. She feels the rule makers are not able to see the bigger picture. “Think about the fan girls, the people who create memes. That’s what builds a cult following in a sport. It’s frustrating, and it’s archaic,” she said.
Coco Gauff Believes Tennis Is Not Doing Enough for New Age Digital Consumers
A few days ago, digital creator Eliza Wastcoat posted a video complaining about tennis disregarding “non-traditional forms of media coverage.” Her video even got a supportive comment from Riddle. Moreover, Coco Gauff also liked the video, hinting that the American star herself is frustrated by this policing of content.
21-year-old Gauff, who has a strong social media presence, shared her thoughts on how the sport connects with pop culture. During a recent press conference, Gauff was asked if tennis is doing enough to seep more into pop culture, especially with marketing opportunities in the current times.
She replied, “If I have to give my honest answer, no. I don’t think that tennis is doing enough to benefit from that.” The American star feels that over the years, she has met with so many unexpected people who are “really into” tennis, be they celebrities or fans.
Gauff also mentioned how the next generation of fans lives online. “Me personally, being a Gen Z, I definitely think the TikTok audience can be reached a lot more. I feel like TikTok is one of those apps that just transcends everything and makes those connections, and we do have users who are making fashion TikToks, and we have tennis influencers doing their things.”
“And that’s just them on their own. I definitely think we can do more as a sport of capitalizing off of it, marketing it.”
Gauff also feels that it’s not necessarily the player’s job to focus on that side of the sport. “I think we’re doing, as players, a good job. I definitely think the tours and the Slams can capitalize off of it more,” she said.
Fans want to see the real-life personalities of their favorite athletes, and according to the players, the newer generation doesn’t spend much time on traditional media anymore.