{"id":1865686,"date":"2026-04-04T13:45:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T10:45:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1865686"},"modified":"2026-04-04T13:45:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T10:45:28","slug":"patrick-mouratoglou-warns-tennis-is-in-danger-as-he-brands-sport-a-relic-of-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1865686","title":{"rendered":"Patrick Mouratoglou warns tennis is &#8216;in danger&#8217; as he brands sport a \u2018relic of the past\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Patrick Mouratoglou warns tennis is \u2018in danger\u2019 as he brands sport a \u2018relic of the past\u2019<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/oliver-paton\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Oliver Paton                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"04 Apr 2026 2:45 PM\" data-ps-date=\"04 Apr 2026 2:45 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1775310328\"><br \/>\n                            04 Apr 2026 2:45 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on 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href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fpatrick-mouratoglou-warns-tennis-fanbase-wont-exist-much-longer-as-he-brands-sport-a-relic-of-the-past\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Patrick Mouratoglou warns tennis is \u2018in danger\u2019 as he brands sport a \u2018relic of the past\u2019\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/images.ps-aws.com\/c?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Fcontent%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F03%2FPatrick-Mouratoglou-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Patrick Mouratoglou speaks at press conference\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Patrick Mouratoglou                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Patrick Mouratoglou has issued a stark warning about the future of tennis, focusing on the sport\u2019s lack of appeal to those under 30 and labelling it a \u2018relic of the past\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/patrick-mouratoglou\">Mouratoglou<\/a> first created the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in 2020, in an attempt to provide a unique alternative to the professional game.<\/p>\n<p>The exhibition\u2019s format centres around four quarters \u2013 each lasting eight minutes \u2013 with deciding points at deuce, a 15-second serve clock, as well as multiple bonus cards which provide for special tactics.<\/p>\n<p>The Frenchman was speaking on the first day of the Bastide UTS N\u00eemes, its second appearance in the French city, and reiterated that tennis is in danger of being ignored by younger generations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d like to take this opportunity to reiterate that I never said tennis was doing badly,\u201d Mouratoglou stated to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurosport.fr\/tennis\/patrick-mouratoglou-le-tennis-cest-le-monde-dhier_sto23287083\/story.shtml\">Eurosport France<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTennis is doing extremely well. There are huge crowds in the stadiums, the TV rights are enormous, the tennis business is booming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s simply that the fanbase is getting older and it\u2019s not being renewed. That\u2019s the problem.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTennis is incredibly popular with people of my generation who, basically, discovered tennis in the 70s and 80s. The fanbase is huge, older, but it has money. So the sponsors are there, the TV rights too. Everything\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, if we project ourselves 20, 30, or 40 years into the future, the fanbase won\u2019t exist anymore. So there won\u2019t be any more tennis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPreserving what we have, which is fantastic, but also thinking about the future, that\u2019s what I\u2019m saying. The ATP, the Grand Slams, are focused on the present.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/atp-tour\/monte-carlo-masters-draw-carlos-alcaraz-stan-wawrinka-jannik-sinner-alexander-zverev\">Monte Carlo Masters draw: Alcaraz could face three-time major champion as Sinner lands in Zverev, Medvedev half<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/alex-eala-problem-emma-raducanu-comparison\">Alex Eala suffering from a problem Emma Raducanu has failed to resolve<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Indeed, a 2019 study of American viewership found that the average age for tennis consumption is 61 years old \u2013\u00a0 a statistic which is often cited by Mouratoglou.<\/p>\n<p>The Frenchman believes the traditional match format no longer aligns with how under-30s consume entertainment, with shorter-form content increasingly preferred over full-length broadcasts.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, he insists that innovation is necessary to ensure that the fanbase continues to grow, rather than the average age.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey do their job extremely well because they\u2019re very profitable,\u201d Mouratoglou continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut nobody has thought about the future of tennis. That\u2019s the goal of the UTS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAgain, any sport, whatever it may be, is profitable and works as long as people watch it. If there\u2019s no fan base, there are no sponsors, no audience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo if people under 30 don\u2019t consume this type of product, tennis is in danger in 30 years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTennis is a relic of the past. It was created before 1900, and the format has remained virtually unchanged since, if at all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConsumption patterns have completely shifted. Social media, streaming platforms, video games, people under 30 don\u2019t consume content the way they used to.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I ask them, 100% tell me they don\u2019t watch matches anymore. Too long. They watch highlights. The product isn\u2019t suitable. It\u2019s suited to us, to me. Not to those under 30.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As well as founding the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, Mouratoglou has successfully coached the likes of Serena Williams, Simona Halep, and Naomi Osaka.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Patrick Mouratoglou warns tennis is \u2018in danger\u2019 as he brands sport a \u2018relic of the past\u2019 Oliver Paton 04 Apr 2026 2:45 PM Patrick Mouratoglou Patrick Mouratoglou has issued a stark warning about the future of tennis, focusing on the sport\u2019s lack of appeal to those under 30 and labelling it a \u2018relic of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1865686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1865686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1865686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1865686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1865686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1865686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1865686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}