She roared as she smacked the ball over the net, quickly shuffling her feet back and forth. Her eyes were locked on the ball; she always perfectly set herself up to whip her racquet, finishing her stroke with her opposite elbow pointing straight up. Her creative skill and tremendous athleticism stands out like no other. The Tiger. Aryna Sabalenka. Known for her aggressive playing-style and tiger tattoo on her forearm, Sabalenka received the nickname and emerged as one of the best women’s tennis players in the world. This past September, Sabalenka played her heart out and won the 2025 Women’s US Open Title as a result.
Men’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and numerous other sports have all hit their peak traction in recent years. The question now is simple: what’s next? The answer to this burning question–though debatable–is women’s tennis. With women’s tennis comes a long, rich history. From tennis legend Billie Jean King’s iconic “Battle of the Sexes” match in 1973 against Bobby Riggs, to history repeating itself this past December with women’s pro Aryna Sabalenka playing men’s pro Nick Kyrgios in a replica match, women’s tennis is gaining momentum and viewership like never before.
Coach Diane Toth, physical education teacher and head coach of the Fieldston Girls Varsity Field Hockey Team, said “women’s tennis is gaining more attention right now, because female players are stronger and are playing harder, and that’s what the fans want. If you look at Billie Jean King, she was way above everyone else of her time. But if you compare her serve to a pro’s now, it’s not an equal matchup.”
Toth noted that this is a result of players nowadays having access to better resources that help improve their game: the metrics are in individual strength-trainers, mental trainers, nutritionists, cardiovascular trainers and more who help enhance their skills and elevate their performances. CNN summarized some of the tools tennis players utilize to maximize their game: “Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max), maximum heart rate, resting heart rate and heart rate variability to analyze recovery are usually the focal points of aerobic fitness monitoring.” (CNN Sports) Sports scientist Mark Kovacs revealed why women tennis players are his favorite athletes to work with: “because they’re tough as nails. They handle high, high volume…Their ability to suffer in a good way is something that makes them great.” (CNN Sports) As years have gone on, the resources for athletes have improved immensely, allowing them to increase their agility and athleticism. The result? A far more competitive field, and fans can feel it.
Women’s tennis has become known thanks to many greats, most notably, the Williams Sisters. Venus and Serena Williams are some of the greatest tennis players of all time–men’s and women’s. Although women’s tennis really gained momentum with Billie Jean King, the Williams sisters brought the crowds: “They did not invent the power game – Seles, Capriati, Davenport, and Mary Pierce preceded them – but their athleticism and serving took it to unimaginable places.” (The Guardian) Their father, Richard Williams, trained them from a young age, allowing them to not only thrive, but create the world and fans of women’s tennis. Now that their time has officially passed, fans are asking: who’s next?
“In the next five to ten years,” Toth explained, “if the media exposure gets better, it can really explode.” Toth emphasized that sports only grow when the media invests: “stronger marketing of women’s tennis, especially in schools, camps and recreation centers will expand its fan base.” The advertisements create a ripple effect by reaching diverse audiences and creating emotional connections. Through different pieces of content, the viewer connects to what they are seeing. Whether a young girl who’s interested in playing tennis, or an older, long-time fan, the ads can target many different people.
A useful comparison is the meteoric rise of the WNBA. The WNBA, or the Women’s National Basketball Association, was established in April of 1996. It hadn’t gained major attention up until just last year–largely because many fans gravitated toward the NBA, and also due to lack of media coverage for the women’s players. Savvy players, increased sponsorship and consistent media coverage allowed for a surge in national popularity.
Additionally, the league’s growth also reflects the long-term impact of Title IX, which dramatically expanded opportunities for women in sports over the last fifty years. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that was administered by the US Department of Education in 1972. The law allowed for increased resources, higher budgets and more athletic scholarships for girls. From 1972 to 2012, six times more women were participating in intercollegiate sports. (History.com) With a larger talent pool and more young women growing up with access to competitive basketball, the foundation was set for the WNBA to thrive.
Many fans, including myself, discovered the league through Tik Tok and Instagram, where players actively promoted their teams, games and personalities through advertisements, sponsorships, Tik Tok dance trends and more. With equitable coverage, the league took off. Women’s tennis is poised for a similar breakthrough.
The current challenge is inconsistent viewership. While the four Grand Slams–the US Open, the Wimbledon Championship, the French Open (Roland Garros) and the Australian Open–attract massive audiences, regular-season matches tend to struggle because they are less prestigious games, with lower stakes. On the other hand, looking back at the WNBA, all of their regular-season games are watched by a similar number of viewers, in addition to their finals. This is because of sustained advertising and media investment.
Former-MLB Network Researcher, Andy Cooper-Leary, reemphasizes the point that although tennis has a niche audience, similar to golf, its uniqueness is what makes it so special: “[It’s] very dependent on media outlets, where other sports, which are mostly team sports, the leagues can control the outlets a lot more.” Cooper-Leary went on to explain that teams like the Yankees are streamed on major networks like the Yes-Network; however, tennis, not a team, but a matrix, is streamed through a different, diverse group of channels, services and networks, proving its importance and distinctiveness from the rest of the sports-world. Although some may argue that this is a challenge, as tennis is harder to stream, it is a result of it being different from other sports, proving why it should be watched and further advertised in the near future.
But, to Toth’s point, as newer, younger and more talented players like Coco Gauff are coming into the sport, it is gaining more of an audience. Her power, speed and creative play draws so many fans in. The only missing link is the committed media coverage; whether it’s by the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), or the players themselves, this effort will allow women’s tennis to triumph in the sports-world in the coming years. And if there’s one constant in today’s culture, it’s our dependence on the media. With the right push, women’s tennis will naturally weave itself into everyday feeds, conversations and screens.
There’s a huge flow of new, young, charismatic athletes impending and offering their talent, humor and wisdom to the sport. The star player of the 1980s, also introducing the world to women’s tennis, was Billie Jean King. In the 2000s, it was Maria Sharapova, along with the incomparable Serena Williams. Today’s stars include names such as Emma Radacanu, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys. Radacunu is a young player, always with a sweet smile on her face, yet a fierce, striking stroke that will wipe out her opponent. Keys is one of the top players; she creates a deadly backhand out of nothing, topping it off with her flawless serve. Osaka–a newer, yet well-known name, familiar for her vulnerability sharing her journey with her mental-health battles, shows a unique side of the game: a strong willingness to attack her opponents’ weaknesses, while always taking deep breaths on the court, remaining calm.
Fieldston’s Athletic Director and head varsity football coach, Gus Ornstein, highlighted what sets tennis apart: its individuality. He remarked, “You are alone on the court, with no one to fall back on.” Other sports are team-oriented and as a result, marketing and media teams have had dozens of players in leagues to lean on when it comes to advertising. Tennis’s media relies on just a handful of star players. You open Tik Tok and see a video of Caitlin Clark? Indiana Fever. You click Instagram and spot an advertisement with Mallory Swanson? Chicago Red Stars. But if you see Mirra Andreeva appear on your television screen, she’s distinctive. She owns the court. She isn’t with a team. She is the team. That individuality, and the skill required to sustain it, will continue to pull new fans in.
Women’s tennis has had increased spikes in popularity before, like with the Williams sisters, Steffi Graf, Maria Sharapova and many other stars. A noteworthy tennis win that made history and changed the sport forever is Coco Gauff’s US-Open win in 2023, at just nineteen years old. If you opened Instagram, everyone’s stories lit up your feed, with her win reposted everywhere. The Arthur Ashe Stadium was sold out with fans hungry to watch a young, new talent win. Another surge was during what is arguably Serena Williams’ best years of playing in the early-2000s, when she held all four Grand Slam titles consecutively, bringing in a ton of new audiences. These moments weren’t anomalies, they were previews.
With the addition of better media coverage, continued investment and a new generation of extraordinary athletes, women’s tennis has all of the ingredients to become the next major wave in global sports. Tennis greats are continuing to rise, demonstrating their talent and highlighting the individuality and splendor of the sport. In a matter of years, or even months, you will turn on your TV to find a packed arena, or discover a WTA ticket that is triple the price than it is right now. Women’s sports thrive on community and shared passion. As fans continue to ask which women’s sport will be the next breakout phenomenon, the answer is becoming clearer: women’s tennis.
