Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu bag Top-5 spots on social media value charts for WTA tour
Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, and Ons Jabeur were ranked among the Top-5 players on the WTA tour with the highest social media value of 2022. As per a list of top female players ranked by social value, released by Novak Djokovic's Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), the recently-retired Sania Mirza topped the charts.
Mirza's 388 posts across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook from January 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023 amounted to $11.3 million worth of media value. Swiatek came in second with a little less $10 million worth of social value, while Naomi Osaka was third with $8.7 million. Raducanu and Jabeur rounded out the Top-5 with $7.2 million and $5.5 million in social value, respectively.
Coco Gauff, Petra Kvitova, Paula Badosa, Elina Svitolina, and Garbine Muguruza were the other players in the Top-10 rankings of female players based on social media values.
Osaka's Twitter post with BTS star Suga back in September 2022 earned the highest social value for a single post, accumulating $823,135. Swiatek's US Open title celebration post was the second highest with a social value of $170,974. Mirza's retirement post on Instagram during the Australian Open, Raducanu's Instagram post regarding her Singapore visit, and Gauff's retirement tribute post for Serena Williams on Twitter during the US Open were the other best posts based on social value.
Players aren't just athletes - they're conversation and culture drivers.
See which social posts drove the most impact in 2022: bit.ly/40TDKLv https://t.co/qZiUpy8ter
Meanwhile, Magda Linette saw the highest rise in social value among WTA players for the period of consideration as compared to 2021, with a whopping 338% increase. Caroline Garcia, Gauff, Jabeur, and Swiatek were other players who saw the biggest increases in social value this past year.
Andy Roddick feels Iga Swiatek does not get enough media coverage
Andy Roddick recently opined that Iga Swiatek does not have the same level of media coverage as compared to many other players on tour who have achieved a lot less in their tennis careers than the current world No. 1. After Swiatek was named in the list of TIME magazine's '100 Most Influential People of 2023', Roddick was glad to see the Polish player get her due in terms of recognition outside tennis.
Roddick told Tennis Channel:
"One of the things I love seeing because a lot of people on the women's side get covered a lot more for a lot less accomplishments than Iga Swiatek."
He then praised Swiatek for her professionalism and expressing her voice off the court and said that she richly deserved the TIME honor.
"So I'm happy that she's getting this crossover exposure because it is well deserved. She is uber professional, she is finding her voice outside of the arena so I love seeing this for Iga."
After missing the Miami Open due to an injury, Swiatek has made a comeback at this week's Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.