T30 Blog - Metro News - Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou wants more controversy in tennis

George Bellshaw (Metro.co.uk) recently interviewed Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

The following is an extract taken from the ‘Exclusive’ interview.

Patrick Mouratoglou wants tennis to change.

‘We have to live in our century and tennis is very much behind other sports.

I’m talking to the big governing bodies around the world to try and change that because we need to, it’s the moment.

If we don’t do it now it’s going to be too late.

Many have expressed concerns about how tennis will cope in the era beyond the ‘Big Four’ and Serena Williams, but Mouratoglou’s fears lie off the court.

I’m not thinking about the players, I’m thinking about the figures.

If you look at the figures, the average age of the tennis fan is 62 years old.

If we don’t do it now, it’s too late.

Obviously, the way tennis is run all around the world is not the right way because we’re not attractive to young people.

We’re attractive to old people and even then, I’m not sure we’re attractive, I think it’s the fans of tennis who came in the 70s and 80s and stayed, who are still fans.

So, 10 years ago the average age was 52.

Now it’s 62.

So, in 10 years it will be 72 if we don’t move now.

It’s time to move.

It’s time to realise that tradition is fantastic but if because of tradition and only tradition you lose everyone it’s less fantastic, so you have to keep some tradition to this sport of course but you also have to live in your century.

That’s the big thing, the next thing we have to do in the next years but not too late.

Before it’s too late.

There is a big change that has to happen to our sport now. Now.’

The full article can be read here.

Thirty30 Tennis Comment

Tennis is not attractive to young people and requires changing.

Thirty30 tennis retains the traditions and brings tennis into the 21st century by creating shorter more dynamic matches.

Thirty30 tennis can attract younger people to the sport.

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