IT’S TENNIS SEASON: HOW SOCIAL IS DRIVING HYPE AND EXCITEMENT
AELTC. Image from Getty.
Wimbledon is here and the excitement and anticipation is as high as ever. Ahead of the action getting under way, we take a look at how the sport of tennis is attracting a wider audience through being relatable and appealing to mainstream culture.
CULTURALLY RELEVANT
The newly-released tennis-based movie - Challengers - has been received well by film critics and the average movie-goer, with Roger Federer also deciding to have some fun with the film.
The former world No.1 recreated one of the scenes from the film with a still image. Receiving over 500,000 likes on Instagram, it brings attention to the tennis season by relating to wider pop culture, as we see the crossover of movie stars and athletes.
Sticking with the sporting cultural crossover theme, 2024 Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek’s teary-eyed selfie on X racked up over four million impressions and 59,000 likes after she received a hand-written legend from pop star Taylor Swift after attending her concert.
Cultural crossovers, when executed correctly, are incredibly important to the overall growth and relevance of a particular product. This year, tennis and pop culture have worked hand-in-hand and crucially, they’ve done so authentically. All of the above examples have enabled each athlete, competition and music star to naturally enter a new audience of fans – from Swifties to movie-lovers!
Fashion
It would be remiss not to recognise the power of fashion and how its influence continues to rise no matter the occasion (or sport!). Tennis aesthetic has become a trend this summer – driven by both influencers and mainstream media.
We have a feeling this year at Wimbledon we’ll see a lot more ‘fit check’ inspired content from players and fans alike, alongside the usual celebrity spotting as the camera pans to the VIP and Royal Box.
Zendaya pictured at UK Premiere of ‘Challengers’. Image from Getty.
The power of the players
Sport has evolved into a global spectacle, transforming athletes into celebrities. In response, athletes have adapted by honing their media presence; from endorsing brands and engaging with fans through social media to cultivate their public image and maximise their influence. Here are a couple examples of how some of tennis’ biggest stars are making the most of their fame right now…
Jannik Sinner: Having become World No.1, a heartwarming video was posted in collaboration with the ATP featuring the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Murray and John McEnroe. From past to present it shows Sinner’s followers that he’s now in the elite and very unique position of tennis stardom. Naturally, this builds excitement ahead of Wimbledon as the world is watching.
On top of that, Nike reacted swiftly with a ‘Dear Number 1’ letter on the brand’s global page – with 305 million followers. Featuring on the global page is enough to show just how big the news – and more importantly the talent – is.
Ons Jabeur: We’ve seen trends from all sports dominate TikTok at some point and Ons Jabeur did just that with a remarkable piece of skill that she posted on her Instagram and TikTok page of her doing keepy-ups before rifling a serve on court. Challenging others to take part, the skill went viral and had fellow tennis stars engaging and replicating her skill.
Ons’ personality has really shone through at this year’s tournaments: her ritual with the ball-children at Roland Garros is another moment that went viral, making it clear to see why she is loved by players and fans alike.
How Wimbledon stay iconic on their own channels
ALWAYS LIKE NEVER BEFORE
A powerful strapline to hype up what is set to be an incredible tournament. The content pushed out by Wimbledon’s social media team has been superb and as consumers as well as fans, we’re excited to see what they’ve got in store for us when the tournament begins.
From their introductory ‘painting the lines’ at Wimbledon to seamless carousels with strong photography and fun Q&As with the players – their content has it all. The combination of mobile-shot pieces, to higher-quality polished edits, mixed in with picture-perfect photography, the Wimbledon feed is appealing to scroll through.
Wimbledon ASMR is becoming a tradition on their channels, the uniqueness of the setup and everything in between makes it an incredibly appealing and satisfying piece of content to sit through.
The storytelling elements of their content have been brilliant in the build-up to the tournament and we’re excited to see what they’ve got up their sleeve over the next couple of weeks.
Now to the action – and while we’re wishing our very own Ons Jabeur all the best – we’re excited to see how Wimbledon, the players and fans play their part in creating a memorable two weeks across digital.