At high-end sports experiences, influencers are now as ubiquitous as celebrities. They’re mingling in the same luxury boxes, sitting in the same courtside seats, and even performing in the same Super Bowl halftime shows.
The trend is especially visible in professional tennis, where several ranked players have current or former romantic partners with massive online followings who share content about the sport. As a result, major tennis tournaments have become important stops on the influencer social calendar—a role that many events have embraced. Last year, for example, the U.S. Open issued formal media credentials to dozens of content creators for the first time.
Still, the development is a frequent topic of online discourse, with a common refrain that influencers’ growing presence at sports detracts from the ability of “regular fans” to attend and enjoy certain events.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Front Office Sports, former top American pro tennis player John Isner says the change is not necessarily bad..
“It’s done a lot for the sport. It’s brought a lot of novice eyeballs to our sport,” Isner said of influencers attending and documenting Grand Slam tournaments. “Maybe they’re not there to enjoy or catch up on the tennis, but a lot of these people have huge followings.”
