CULTURE MOMENT: Gen Z tennis phenoms are having a moment at the 2023 U.S. Open. From 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz
to 19-year-old Coco Gauff
and 20-year-old Ben Shelton
, next-gen players are dominating matches, headlines, and TikTok algorithms. They’re part of a new class of “young guns”
breaking records, making history — and changing culture one “game, set, match” at a time.?
HOW IT’S PLAYING OUT ON COURT:
- Tennis is already riding a wave of popularity it gained during the pandemic. Proving to be the perfect social distancing sport, first-time players increased by 44% between 2019 and 2020, according to the U.S. Tennis Association
. Now, U.S. Tennis — and associations globally —?are working to capitalize on the sport’s resurgence.?
- Tennis participation is still on the rise. New players didn’t put down their rackets when the world opened back up. In the U.S., tennis participation is on the rise
for the third consecutive year. Sales of tennis gear, including rackets
, apparel, and shoes
, are surging —?as are tennis-inspired styles, which are reaching a broader audience.?
- Tennis fandom is up too —?and these young players are part of the draw. This year’s U.S. Open broke single-day attendance records
with more than 70,000 fans in the stands. Earlier this year Wimbledon experienced record attendance
, too. The draw to the courts is at least in part due to the sport's “new Gods,” as The Times
put it
.?
WHAT IT MEANS FOR CULTURE OFF THE COURT:
- Gen Z players are becoming household names —?and influencing households. While the U.S. Open has long been proving grounds for emerging young talent, previous gens didn’t have the star-making power of social media to support them. Today’s players are able to promote themselves, and rally fan communities around them, earlier than ever. Now, Alcaraz is sponsored by
Nike, Rolex, and Louis Vuitton. Gauff is sponsored by
Bose, Barilla, and U.P.S., among dozens of others. And 20-year-old Emma Raducanu earned $18 million in endorsements the year after she won the 2021 U.S. Open, according to
Forbes
. These Zs will continue to be consumer favorites for years to come.
- Gen Z tennis fans are invested in a new ecosystem of sports-adjacent stars. While they may not play themselves, there’s a new class of celebs and influencers who are well-known in the stands. Take, for instance, Morgan Riddle
. The girlfriend of 25-year-old player Taylor Fritz, Riddle has had so many viral social media moments this season that Wimbledon hired her to host “Wimbledon Threads
,” a video series on fashion at the tournament. She’s become an unofficial ambassador for the sport.?
- Tennis fashion is being reinvented at all levels of the fashion industry. While Gen Z players are revolutionizing on-court aesthetics
, it's the off-court evolution of tennis style that will have a lasting impact. Forget country club chic; the next-gen is definitely making “tennis-core” their own. Pleated skirts, visors, and collared polo shirts have been trending from TikTok
to high-fashion runways
this summer. Pusha T even rocked the look
in the stands of the U.S. Open — accessorized with several chains, naturally.
- Racket sports will continue to hit it big. While tennis may never be accessible to all (given its skill gap, the cost of equipment, and it's somewhat complicated rules), expect more accessible racket sports to trend. Ping-pong had its moment
. Pickleball has exploded over the last couple years, with over 36 million players
. Padel — basically tennis-meets-squash — is one of the fastest growing sports
globally. What’s next??
For more on how Gen Zs are pushing athletics forward, check out our ALMANAC article Future Sport
.
