"The older, misogynist side of the fan base is my biggest group of people I've been working to win over" - Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle
Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle has opened up about their shared mission to make tennis more appealing to the younger generations. Riddle, a popular social media influencer, has effectively pursued this goal by curating interesting and engaging tennis-related content on various platforms.
In an exclusive interview with People, the 26-year-old recalled a conversation she had with Fritz at the start of their relationship in 2020. During the conversation, Fritz had expressed his aspiration to make tennis "cooler" to younger generations, a goal that Riddle now shares.
"I think that he appreciates that we both have this collective goal of bringing it to a younger crowd. He does his part of it and I do mine. I remember when him and I first met, within the first week or two, one of the things that he told me is, 'I just want tennis to be cooler in our generation.' It's just not," she said.
Discussing her role as the host for this year's Wimbledon Threads, the official lifestyle and fashion series of the grasscourt Major, Riddle called it a "big win" as it allowed her to gain more credibility within the tennis community.
"To be recognized by a tournament of that prestige is just a big win for me and people taking me a little bit more seriously in the tennis world, to be honest, because that's something that I've struggled with," she said.
She also highlighted her efforts to win over the older and potentially more misogynistic side of the tennis fan base.
"I guess the older, maybe more misogynist side of the tennis fan base is my biggest group of people that I've been working to win over a little bit," she added.
"All these amazing places that we get to go on the Tour is the dreamiest part of it" - Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle on traveling with the American
Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle regularly travels with the American to support him during his matches around the world. She also provides fans with captivating behind-the-scenes content from tournaments as she documents her touring life on social media.
Riddle, who hails from a modest background in Minnesota, expressed amazement at having the opportunity to travel around the world and experience different cultures and cities while supporting Fritz on tour.
"I grew up from a much more lower middle-class background in Minnesota, so [traveling] just wasn't accessible to me ever. I never really believed that I would be able to see the world in that way. So to be able to explore different cities and different cultures and all these amazing places that we get to go on the Tour is just the dreamiest part of it," she said.
Riddle is expected to be cheering Taylor Fritz on from the stands as he locks horns with Ugo Humbert on Wednesday to commence his 2023 Canadian Open campaign.