TikTok, fashion, and movies: tennis is making a comeback

Rafael Nadal practices at Roland Garros in Paris, with logos flanking the court.

Tennis is also seeing a shift in leadership, particularly in the men’s division, where Rafael Nadal is probably in his last season and Novak Djokovic, the current top player in the world, has been having difficulty lately. Well-known players on the women’s circuit, like the Williams sisters, have either retired, suffered from injuries, or taken time off to raise their children. Retired No. 1 Naomi Osaka is one example.

Many players, particularly younger ones like Carlos Alcaraz, who won Wimbledon in 2023 at the age of 21, and Iga Świątek, a 22-year-old Polish player who has already won four grand slam titles, now have the opportunity to become international celebrities as a result of this.

Younger players who are content-savvy and digital natives, like Coco Gauff, are rising to prominence, according to Lynch. “Because tennis players receive more social media exposure, fans have greater access to them and their lives, passions, and journeys than ever before, making them more influential to both brands and fans.”

Gauff, the 2023 US Open women’s finalist, has almost 2 million followers on Instagram. A quick glance at her feed reveals a mix of images from her personal life and her sponsors. Her feed features posts from Barilla (the pasta manufacturer signed her in 2019 to wear its logo on her apparel) and a Microsoft advertisement where she discusses how technology supports her career.

How participants can profit

New Balance, the official on-court outfitter of Gauff, who signed her when she was just 14 years old, is another company that appears frequently on her Instagram page. Since then, the company has grown to include a collection of shoes that the 20-year-old assists in designing.

In addition to donning a US Open-specific New Balance ensemble when Gauff won her first Grand Slam last year, she also wore a “Call Me Coco Champion” T-shirt that quickly went viral.

Despite being the brand’s biggest star, she is one of only a handful of athletes signed to contracts with the privately held clothing company, following larger outfitters like Nike and Adidas.