Roger Federer, Soon to Retire, Is Most Popular Player in Men's Tennis

Professional tennis is losing two of its greatest and most popular athletes of all time — both within the span of a month. 

Roger Federer announced his retirement in mid-September, saying he hopes to play one final doubles match at this weekend’s Laver Cup in London. That followed the retirement of 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who is by far the most popular women’s tennis player of all time, according to a recent Morning Consult survey.

New Morning Consult data shows that Federer, too, is a fan favorite. More than 7 in 10 self-identified men’s tennis fans (73%) said they either have a “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” opinion of the Swiss tennis legend, making him the most popular men’s tennis player. The departure of Federer, who became the first tennis player to amass $1 billion across his prize money, endorsements and appearances fees, adds to a growing list of retired men’s players who remain among the most popular with fans. 

Like women’s tennis, the men’s game is in search of its next must-watch stars who can draw viewers. With Federer’s retirement, nearly 1 in 5 men’s tennis fans (18%) said they are now less interested in watching the sport, but 28% said they’re now more interested, suggesting there’s still some optimism around the sport’s future.

The future of men’s tennis is bright 

The U.S. Open semifinal contest between Alcaraz and Tiafoe averaged 3.1 million viewers, making it the tournament’s most-watched match, excluding Williams’ two final matches. Despite men’s tennis losing its most popular player, the future of the sport remains promising, thanks to a young group of up-and-coming stars

The Sept. 18-19, 2022, survey was conducted among a representative sample of 2,210 U.S. adults, including 1,611 self-identified sports fans, both with an unweighted margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. The survey also included 700 self-identified men’s tennis fans, with an unweighted margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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