Tennis is a sport steeped in tradition, from the attire of its players to the structure of its tournaments. However, with the rise of new generations of fans and players alike, many are questioning whether the sport needs to evolve to stay relevant. Among them is American ATP icon Frances Tiafoe, who recently spoke about the need for tennis to embrace a fan experience that is more akin to an NBA game. Tiafoe’s argument says that the sport needs to step its game in order to appeal to the younger generation. Tiafoe’s sentiments have been backed by several players in recent days and one of them is WTA legend Serena Williams’ former coach- Patrick Mouratoglou.

Mouratoglou, like Tiafoe, believes that tennis needs to renew its fan base and bring young fans on board. He notes that the young generation is not following the tour, and even professional players rarely watch full matches. This lack of engagement is a problem that needs to be addressed, and Mouratoglou believes that change is necessary in order to do so. Like always, his statements have attracted fans to comment on his opinions. Taking to Instagram, tennis enthusiasts have swarmed in with their comments on Mouratoglou’s opinion.

Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou receives critical reactions to his recent comments

As Mouratoglou says,“We need to renew our fan base. We need to bring the young fans on board – and we don’t. The young generation is not following the tour,” he said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

Read more: ‘Imagine Going to a Basketball Game and Not Saying Anything’ – American Star Frances Tiafoe Confesses His Issues With Tennis and Its Serious Lack of Youngsters’ Appeal

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“When Frances said that he wished that tennis would be more like basketball, a lot of people went against him, and when I retweeted, a lot of people went against me, too,” says Mouratoglou. “The young generation is not following the tour, is not watching matches, is not watching full matches,” believes a disappointed Mouratoglou. “And this includes the professional players who never watch full matches either.”

Many tennis fans have reacted strongly to this statement, disagreeing with the Frenchman’s views. Most of their arguments are rooted in the fact that tennis by far remains an expensive sport- from viewership to participation.

“If it wasn’t so expensive maybe more young people could choose to try and play and learn. Private lessons are expensive, team lessons are expensive, court rental is expensive, memberships are expensive, tickets are expensive.”

“Make tennis approachable for people and younger generations.. Unreasonable prices for the white sport. Nothing changed in the last 150 years… Elite sport just for the elite”– comments like these have sparked an intense debate over Mouratoglou’s opinion.

“The issue with tennis is due to how expensive it is to take part. A court alone can cost you £20 an hour to play in the Uk. Then if you want to watch tennis on TV you have to pay ridiculous sports subscriptions,” said a fan.

Another fan comments, “You have to pay to watch any tournament on TV unless it’s a grand slam, if you want people to start loving the sport you need to make it have easy access”.

Others have blamed the tennis authorities for this decision saying, “They [authorities] don’t want tennis becoming like basketball because they’re not looking to diversify the sport. They want to keep it as white as possible, for as long as possible.”

Mouratgolou, who was a part of Serena Williams’ entourage for more than a decade, has been trying to take action on making tennis more inclusive. For instance, trying to engage younger fans through the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) is a bold step by the renowned coach. The UTS offers an unusual tennis experience exploring what would be the ideal format to attract younger minds and make them fall in love with the sport.

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