US Open's 'Game, Set, Matchmaker' connects Gen Z through tennis dating

New York, Aug 25 (AP) Over the past week at the U.S. Open, a unique initiative brought together eight couples for their first dates, all captured on camera.

This innovative approach is part of the tournament's latest content creation strategy, “Game, Set, Matchmaker,” aimed at capturing the interest of Gen Z fans in the realm of Grand Slam tennis. From Wimbledon to Flushing Meadows, tennis is increasingly taking bold steps to attract a new wave of fans.

“We're always seeking new ways to engage with fresh audiences,” explained Jonathan Zipper, the senior director of social media for the U.S. Tennis Association. The USTA oversees tennis in the United States and organizes the U.S. Open.

“Our primary focus is on Gen Z and Millennials, aiming to bring them closer to the sport. We devise content strategies around what these demographics usually enjoy and engage with.”

The eight-part YouTube series that debuted on Sunday comes at a booming time for dating shows, with hits like “Love Island,” “Love is Blind,” and “The Bachelor” dominating young American viewership over the past year.

For the USTA, the potential for this initiative to capture attention is significant.

Last year, the U.S. Open achieved a record 2.3 billion engagements across its official social media platforms during the tournament, highlighting tennis' cultural surge. With the increasing audience on official tournament accounts, there’s a push to get creative, including collaborating with outside personalities to enhance content creation.

In 2023, Wimbledon introduced Morgan Riddle, a tennis influencer and longtime girlfriend of the fourth-ranked player, Taylor Fritz, the U.S. Open runner-up from the previous year, to spearhead a digital video series. Titled “Threads,” the series delves into tennis fashion and lifestyle through Riddle’s perspective, establishing itself as a recurring series at the tournament.

Featuring titles like “How Wimbledon made tennis chic” and “Being the best means being stylish,” the “Threads” series directly appeals to fans interested in the fashion aspect of the sport, a niche entry point to tennis for numerous young audiences targeted by these tournaments.

Since the announcement of the U.S. Open's “Game, Set, Matchmaker” show — which evoked varied reactions on social media — its format evolved from focusing on a single woman dating multiple suitors to the broader format it adopts now.

Ronnie Gunter, one of the participants, recently relocated to New York City when a friend asked him about joining a dating show.

“You know what?” he recalled thinking. “I'm new to the city; why not give something fun a shot?”

Even without initiatives like those from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, tennis boasts a robust presence on social media; as of Sunday, the #USOpen tag featured in 1.6 million posts. However, while tournaments benefit from fan engagement on social platforms, Zipper notes the importance of the Slams producing their own potentially viral content in-house.

“We are consistently seeking ways to expand our owned and operated channels,” Zipper stated. “We aim to connect with audiences interested in tennis and sports but offer an added connection to the U.S. Open brand. While numerous content creators are generating content, we've been eager to explore methods to directly grow our channel audience.” (AP) ATK

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