Top 5 tennis players on TikTok. Why Jannik Sinner is left behind
TikTok has become an arena for attention, and tennis cannot afford to stand aside – even if many players still treat the platform as a second-class channel compared with Instagram.
What began as a hub for dance challenges and memes has turned into a powerful engine shaping culture, media, and the commercial strategies of sport. According to Apriaba (2025), TikTok counts more than 1.5 billion users, 60% of them under 24. For athletes, it has redefined how visibility is built and monetised.
With its natural drama, expressive emotions and near-choreographed rallies, tennis seems well suited to short-form video. Yet the most popular accounts on the platform are not necessarily the sport’s biggest names.
Top 5 male players on TikTok
- Carlos Alcaraz (link) – 1.1M followers. Mixes charisma and dynamic play with behind-the-scenes clips.
- Novak Djokovic (link) – 538K. A legend of the tour, showing training, charity work, and family life.
- Ben Shelton (link) – 444K. Known for humour, behind-the-scenes content, and viral videos – a case study in digital positioning for a young player.
- Holger Rune (link) – 295K. Builds his image through lifestyle content aimed at younger audiences.
- Nick Kyrgios (link) – 247K. One of the most talked-about players, relying on provocation, humour, and personal insights.
Top 5 female players on TikTok
- Aryna Sabalenka (link) – 1.1M followers. Shows emotion, tournament backstage, and personal moments.
- Coco Gauff (link) – 1M. Blends tennis, humour, and social messaging in a TikTok-friendly style.
- Naomi Osaka (link) – 483K. After a career break, returned to both the tour and social media, focusing on authenticity and storytelling.
- Ons Jabeur (link) – 100K. Chooses humorous, everyday content, building her image as a “people’s champion.”
- Elina Svitolina (link) – 68K. Focuses on family, mental health, and life behind the scenes of the WTA Tour.
Why Jannik Sinner is absent
The Italian has no official TikTok account, though his name generates plenty of user-generated clips under hashtags. There are several explanations.
Some players see the platform as a distraction and prefer to concentrate on tennis. Others are reluctant to trade the polished surfaces of Instagram for TikTok’s demand for humour and informality. For many, especially those already established, Twitter/X and Instagram remain the default channels, while TikTok feels like foreign territory.
Sinner is not unique. Jack Draper, Lorenzo Musetti, Iga Świątek and Qinwen Zheng are all far less active on TikTok than on Instagram – and some do not operate an official account at all.
But tennis is moving in that direction
In spring 2025, the ATP signed a strategic partnership with TikTok, giving the platform exclusive backstage access to the men’s tour and creating incentives for players to engage more directly.
Digital presence has shifted from optional to strategic. What was once dismissed as a toy for Generation Z has become a space where athletes shape both their image and their market value.
Ben Shelton illustrates the point. After his breakout at the 2023 US Open, his social clips drew millions of views, helping secure commercial deals with On Running, Yonex and Thorne. Analysts at The First Serve noted that his digital reach – not just his results – was decisive in attracting Gen Z brands.
Research underlines the trend: athletes with stronger social media followings elicit higher emotional engagement from younger fans, making campaigns more effective and boosting sponsorship revenue.
For tennis, broader adoption of TikTok no longer looks speculative. It appears inevitable.
Cover photo: Depositphotos, edited by Racket One
