Taylor Fritz exclusive as he admits ‘tennis has to do a better job’ in key area

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Taylor Fritz Netflix Break Point 2

Taylor Fritz has told Tennis365 that the sport needs to attract a new audience as it looks to the future, saying he and his partner Morgan have helped to highlight how tennis can generate fresh interest.

Speaking at an event to promote his association with LEVEL SELECT OTC, a plant-based wellness brand whose products features natural menthol and camphor for fast pain relief, Fritz told us that the sport has to find a way to bring the stories behind the characters on court to life.

Taylor and Morgan were stars of the Netflix documentary Break Point, which took viewers behind the scenes on the tennis tours and now he has proposed that the game continues down that path to draw a younger audience.

“I think that is the most important thing we need to do in our sport,” Fritz told Tennis365, as he advocated for tennis players to be given more exposure on a global media platform.

“When I think back to tennis players and sports stars that I admired or paid attention to it was always because firstly I valued their abilities on the court or on the field, and secondly because I connected with their story and the stories of those around them.

“Tennis has to do a better job in telling those stories. If you look at F1 now for example, people are captivated by F1 because Drive to Survive did an amazing job of letting people into that world and told the stories of the drivers.

“Now the fans feel more connected than ever because they know the man under the helmet, and because of that they feel more invested.

“I grew up gaming a lot (still do) and watching YouTube videos and YouTube creators, so I know how many alternative entertainment options there are out there for young people.

“We as a sport have to figure out how to better reach that audience and bring a younger crowd into tennis. I don’t know what the answer is, but we have to make some changes to find a better balance between the great traditions of tennis, which I love and value, and what that new audience is looking for.”

When he reflected on his role in the Netflix docuseries, Fritz revealed the behind-the-scenes film he starred in alongside partner Morgan was enjoyable.

Taylor Fritz LEVEL SELECT OTC
Taylor Fritz LEVEL SELECT OTC

“It’s been a great experience,” he continued. “They didn’t interfere really at all, thankfully.

“Almost everything, outside of a few sit-down interviews, was them following us around and capturing all the things we were already doing anyway.

“It’s just nice to see the final product and we hope it will grow the game and bring new fans into the sport.”

New episodes of Break Point are scheduled to air on Netflix next month and there will be more to come in 2024, with the streaming service commissioning a second season of the show.

While the Netflix exposure has yet to have the same impact on tennis as the Formula 1 behind-the-scenes series Drive to Survive, it will take time to build the profile of players and the sport as it emerges from an era dominated by Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

We will have more from our exclusive Tennis365 interview with Taylor Fritz in the coming days.

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