Sitting in the front row at the US Open, Taylor Fritz’s influencer girlfriend is making headlines for more than just supporting her partner. As a prominent figure in the world of social media, she is using her platform to bring attention to tennis. It’s no secret that the sport isn’t quite as popular in the US as, let’s say, basketball or football. But ‘the most popular woman in men’s tennis’ is doing her bit to change that. And in return, she wants to see some change, too.

Morgan Riddle passionately films her travels with Taylor Fritz to his tournaments, supporting him as he navigates key professional milestones. With more than 500,000 TikTok followers and a sizable Instagram following, Riddle uses her platform to popularize tennis, aiming to attract younger fans and give the game a new, lively spirit. After all, it’s more likely fans would relate to influencers rather than high-performance athletes. However, the ‘WAG role’ isn’t getting the respect it deserves.

At the US Open, in an interview with Glossy, Riddle was asked about her ability to not just give fans behind-the-scenes access to their favorite players but also bring new eyes to the sport owing to her social media channels. She took the opportunity to highlight the benefits of “fangirls” taking an interest in the sport and, in turn, enabling many more people to develop a liking for tennis. She said, “The fangirls are the ones who are making the memes, making the merch, blowing things up on social media, and making the viral TikToks about the drivers or the players.”

Tennis isn’t the only niche sport starting to gain a massive fanbase. Formula 1 is, too. And these “fangirls” are the ones who’ve helped, in part, to make the motorsport the phenomenon it has become. Yes, Netflix’s Drive to Survive has been a significant contributor, but if not for fans making TikToks and reels about the drivers and posting them on social media, who knows if F1 would’ve grown as much as it has?

Despite the enormous effect this social media revolution has had on promoting niche sports, Morgan Riddle believes “people tend to look down on women in sports. But I’m like, ‘This is who is growing the sport.’ So have a little respect there.” As engaging as her travel, beauty, and fashion content is, Riddle’s most notable contribution to the sport is her novel method of enhancing the accessibility and interest of competitive tennis for younger spectators.

One of her most anticipated videos – that even followers who didn’t particularly like tennis tuned in for – was regarding a promise she made at the Australian Open this year. After her boyfriend won his third-round encounter against Fabian Marozsan, Riddle posted a picture in front of Rod Laver Arena and wrote, “If Taylor Fritz wins again, I’ll eat a jar of vegemite on live.”

Sure enough, following Fritz’s win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round, the World No. 12 was handed a jar of Vegemite during his on-court interview. While he refused to partake in the consumption of the Australian ‘delicacy,’ Fritz said, “I’ll make sure it happens.” And it did. Riddle went live on Instagram, and Fritz handed her a spoonful of the spread. It didn’t go well…

That said, Morgan Riddle’s goal is to “make tennis cool again,” which is encapsulated in one of her most viral TikTok videos a couple of years ago. She openly discussed tennis’ poor status in America in that video, saying, “I know tennis is relatively uncool and unknown in America,” before providing an insightful breakdown of the sport, discussing the yearly tennis schedule, and the intricacies of the rankings. The video stirred up some debate.

However, in the face of conflicting reactions, Taylor Fritz swiftly defended Riddle, emphasizing both her good influence on broadening tennis’ appeal and her critical role in igniting interest and excitement for the sport.

What does Taylor Fritz think of Riddle’s effort to popularize tennis?

After Riddle’s video went viral, Taylor Fritz addressed the ensuing controversy during a press conference at the 2022 Indian Wells. He expressed his support, saying, “I think what she did was awesome for our sport. It got a ton of people looking at it.” On the other hand, he also highlighted how the people upset by the video were “typical older fans.”

“I don’t understand how anyone can get upset about it. I’m the one that’s a professional tennis player, I’m the one that does this for a living. I 100% agree with everything in that video,” Fritz added.

As a result of the fame she’s garnered over the years, Wimbledon has been collaborating with Morgan Riddle for two years to provide an original series called Wimbledon Threads. She conducts interviews with attendees in this series to discuss their attire selections for the esteemed event, providing an inside look at the chic looks that adorn the competition.

What are your thoughts on Riddle’s concern about the lack of respect for women in sports? Let us know in the comments below!