Taylor Fritz believes that tennis should appeal to a younger generation and feels that embracing a personality like Nick Kyrgios can only help the game. The 27-year-old Kyrgios has never won a Grand Slam or ranked in the top 10, but every tournament wants him as he is one of the best when it comes to ticket sales.
Kyrgios has often been criticized for his outbursts and tantrums on the pitch, but the truth is that he is one of the most popular players among the younger generation. In an interview with Clay, Fritz was asked to give his take on some tennis fans who have a big problem with players breaking their rackets.
«There is a reason why all of Nick’s (Kyrgios) matches are packed. Sometimes some players go too far, of course I don’t want people to act crazy, but I think in tennis we punish things that fans like them.
As a sport, we need to appeal to a younger audience,» Fritz told CLAY.
Fritz feels that embracing a personality like Kyrgios’s can help tennis
Tennis has always been considered one of the classiest sports. But in this age, sports fans, especially the younger audience, like drama, Fritz says.
Now, Fritz suggests that if tennis stays closed in that regard, it won’t reach a younger audience because class and education aren’t very attractive to young people nowadays. «What I’m saying right now, I know there’s going to be a lot of people like, ‘I don’t agree with you, I hate it when I see a player breaking rackets.
Well, if you say that, I’m sure you’re over 50. I’m sure. And you’re like a very die-hard tennis fan and I respect that, but yeah, the average tennis fan is too old and we need to attract younger people.
These die-hard tennis fans like to keep it classy and polite and they don’t want anyone doing anything, I respect that, but they should also want what’s best for the sport and that is to appeal to a younger audience.
What attracts people my age is drama. Let’s put it this way: whenever players have some kind of problem, maybe they don’t like each other, people are always much more excited when they play. Let’s be totally honest. It’s a confrontation because you know something is going on with them,» Fritz explained.
