Patrick Mouratoglou made headlines by declaring tennis was ‘in danger’ of becoming obsolete in the next 30 years.
Mouratoglou said young people didn’t watch tennis due to the outdated traditions and the lack of changes to the rules.
The tennis coach, who set up the modern tennis league UTS, believes elder fans are the reason why tennis is still thriving as a sport.
While Mouratoglou has a worrying prediction for tennis, Mark Petchey is far more confident about the direction the sport is moving in.
Mark Petchey indirectly dismisses Patrick Mouratoglou’s claims about tennis
Mouratoglou’s claims have created mass debate about the current popularity of tennis, which has continued to grow in the last few years.
Petchey, who has coached Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu, believes the future is far brighter than Mouratoglou’s claim.
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On X, Petchey wrote: “Record crowds [and] record viewing figures for The Tennis Channel last month. [I’ve] never seen so many twenty somethings in the stands and grounds at Indian Wells.”
“The reports of tennis death are greatly exaggerated,” he added in a seemingly indirect jibe at Mouratoglou. “Facts are stubborn things.”
While Petchey did not outright name Mouratoglou, it’s clear he was reacting to his bleak prediction about the sport.
Patrick Mouratoglou’s UTS is an important arm for tennis
While Mouratoglou’s claims about tennis seem a tad too strong, the Greek coach should be applauded for his work with the UTS Tour.
The tennis league, which introduces a faster format for younger fans, is clearly working as they sell thousands of tickets.
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Their recent event in Nimes, which was won by Felix Auger-Aliassime, saw 13,000 fans sell out the Les Arènes de Nîmes.
Asked why he set up the UTS Tour, Mouratoglou replied: “I’d been thinking about it for a while. I really wanted to reach a new, younger fanbase for tennis, in addition to the existing one.
“For me, it’s an essential complement for the future, but we’re not competing with what the ATP, the WTA, or the Grand Slams are doing.
“I had a long-term vision; not for a moment did I think it was a one-off or that it would only last one or two years.”
Players and fans alike have clearly bought in to the new league and it should work alongside traditional tennis, rather than against it.
