Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle defends Taylor Swift against backlash for attending NFL games, questions why "sports fans hate women so much"
Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle has come forward to defend Taylor Swift amidst the constant backlash she faces for attending NFL games to support her boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs star, Travis Kelce.
On Sunday, January 28, Swift was in attendance at the M&T Bank Stadium to witness the Chiefs, spearheaded by Kelce, win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship playoff game. The win meant that the team from Kansas would make their second consecutive journey to the Super Bowl.
After the match, Taylor Swift came down from her suite to join Travis Kelce in celebrating on the field. The heartwarming moment was captured by the broadcasters' cameras.
An affectionate interaction between Swift and Kelce, broadcasted on television and shared by sports pages on social media, triggered a wave of criticism from NFL fans. They accused the mega pop star of stealing the Kansas City Chiefs' spotlight following their victory.
Morgan Riddle, who is no stranger when it comes to dealing with criticism from tennis fans, took to social media to question the apparent disdain sports fans have towards women.
This prompted a fan to clarify that they do not harbor hatred towards Swift, but rather hate her presence in every social media post and live TV appearance, surpassing every other partner of Chiefs players.
In response, Riddle shared a news article about Taylor Swift generating an astounding "brand value" of $331.5 million for both the Chiefs and the NFL since attending her first Kansas City Chiefs game on September 24 last year, up until January 22.
"Another day spent wondering why sports fans hate women so much," Riddle captioned her Instagram story.
Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle: "The misogynistic sports culture has made out 'WAG' to have negative connotations around it"
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar during the recently concluded Australian Open, Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle discussed the challenges of being a 'WAG' (Wives and Girlfriends of Athletes).
Riddle opened up about the misconceptions faced by 'WAGs' and how the negative implications and stereotypes associated with the term have led people to view them with a menacing and sneering attitude.
The influencer spoke about her acceptance of being referred to as a WAG, but added that she takes issue with the "negative connotations" that the term has acquired due to the "misogynistic sports culture."
"No offence taken — the only reason I would take offence to that is because the misogynistic sports culture has made out “WAG” to have negative connotations around it," Riddle said.
Morgan Riddle also talked about people often overlooking the challenges that accompany being a partner to a professional athlete.
"Anyone in the position of being a partner to a professional athlete knows how difficult and stressful it is to support someone in their position," she added.
Riddle also mentioned that she has made a career for herself in tennis by offering a "feminine perspective" to the sport. She acknowledged that some may choose to dismiss her and her career because she's "just a WAG," but she sees no issue with it as she considers it a "privilege to be underestimated."
"I have made and will continue to make a name for myself within the sport by looking at tennis from a feminine perspective, and introducing it to a younger audience through fun and educational content. If people want to disregard me because I’m 'just a WAG,' so be it. It’s a privilege to be underestimated," Morgan Riddle expressed.