"I think yeah to bring some personality to the sport": Pegula agrees with Tiafoe's view point surrounding basketball-like changes with younger generation in mind
WTA
American tennis star Frances Tiafoe believes tennis needs more to alter a few traditions to make it more popular with the younger generation, and compatriot Jessica Pegula supports his stance.
Current tennis etiquette states fans should remain quiet during points and should not change or leave their seats until players take breaks like changing ends. Tiafoe, however, believes fans should be allowed to speak and move during matches, which is the case with basketball.
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When asked about Tiafoe's comments at the Miami Open, Pegula said that she didn't mind people moving or talking during points.
"I mean, I like it. I'm also, like, one of those people. I don't really get bothered if people are standing or yelling or talking, not yelling maybe. So I can see how, yeah, that's a cool way to look at it," Pegula said.
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The World No.3 added that players like Tiafoe enjoy have large fanbases due to their personality, which could help attract more people to the sport.
"I think, yeah, to bring some personality to the sport, I think we have to start looking at some different things to touch a younger generation," she said. "And guys like Foe who have so much personality and so much energy, they love it, and they have such an amazing fan base, and they have so many fans outside of tennis, I feel like because of his energy. So I think something that could compliment, that would really help the sport."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!
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mandoist08-11-2026









