It was about time tennis had a shake up. A sport steeped in tradition, from pristine tennis whites to on-court etiquette, the game is defined by quiet control. That was until Morgan Riddle took her place courtside.
The Minnesota native is the ever-so glamorous girlfriend of world No.5 player Taylor Fritz, who has won nine ATP titles and became the first American man born in the 1990s to reach 300 career tour-level wins.
© David ReissArmed with a deliciously elegant wardrobe, Morgan has whipped up quite the sartorial storm in the sporting world, transforming the court into her personal catwalk. From tailored Thom Browne concoctions to Louis Vuitton accessories, the 27-year-old is redefining the meaning of WAG altogether.
“I want what I wear to be an extension of my personality,” Morgan says over Zoom. “When I was younger I really fell into that trap of wearing what everybody else is wearing, but that’s not what fashion is about. You're not all supposed to be buying the same drop and wearing the exact same thing.”
"When I was younger I really fell into that trap of wearing what everybody else is wearing, but that’s not what fashion is about. You're not all supposed to be buying the same drop and wearing the exact same thing."
The influencer speaks from her Los Angeles home. She's situated in front of an art-peppered wall, her platinum blonde hair falling just below her shoulders in the perfect blow-out style. She has a prom queen prettiness to her - polished and playful, yet more at ease with herself than one might expect of a stereotypical Queen Bee.
She wears the quintessential uniform of a LA cool-girl, a logoless white sweatshirt that’s an off-duty alternative to her signature Lacoste polo necks and preppy Miu Miu micro skirt ensembles.
A self-professed Mid-West girl at heart, Morgan has forged a career in bringing tennis to the masses, via a stream of covetable looks. She grew up in a family of dairy farmers, a rural scene that is a far cry from the leafy streets of Wimbledon. Inspired by Ugly Betty, she made the jump to New York, where she studied and interned for a host of different companies from real estate to tech. The move also opened her eyes to the world of sleek East Coast style. Yet, perhaps it was her small town upbringing that shaped her authentic approach to online storytelling.
© David Reiss“I think I've been able to bring sort of a level of humour to tennis, you know?” she says. “I'm not just going to matches and posting my designer outfits. I can poke fun at how ridiculous the sport is and how ridiculous the lifestyle is. I think that also helps it to be a little bit more relatable because I do think that there is this sort of like posh uppity side of tennis. That's not the vibe I want - it’s not welcoming. I think I’ve been able to bring it down to a more silly human level.”
This unpretentious attitude worked a charm, with the social media mogul garnering just shy of 600,000 TikTok followers due to her fresh take on the beloved sport.
© David Reiss
© David ReissMorgan’s popular online presence offered fans much more than simply a stellar fashion moodboard - her feed is a window into the VIP area of elite tennis. After all, if we learnt anything from the era of Posh ‘n’ Becks, we all want a glimpse into the love lives of our favourite sporting stars.
“There were no partners on tour who were sharing anything about tennis or dating a tennis player,” the YouTuber reflects. “There was no one getting ready for matches. There were no brands dressing partners on tour for matches. There were so many people that said to me ‘Oh my gosh, I've been a tennis fan for my whole life and I've never gotten to see this side of the tour.’ People were excited about my work. That’s what motivated me to continue making more. It's been really fun for me to sort of bring a younger audience into tennis.”
© David Reiss"It's been really fun for me to bring a younger audience into tennis."
There’s a certain art to knowing what and what not to share on the internet - and it’s typically a result of trial and error. While Gen Z celebrated Morgan’s refreshing arrival on the tennis scene, others were not enthusiastic. Many began to accuse the star of capitalising on her partner’s success, a topic Morgan has not shied away from discussing.
“I've been really transparent about my mental health and being super vulnerable, but there's a dark side of the internet too that will use vulnerabilities against you.
“When I first started social media and I had a really small following, I used to be a lot more unhinged and unfiltered. I’d post whatever political opinion I had…” she trails off candidly. “I've also been really transparent about my mental health and being super vulnerable, but there's kind of a dark side of the internet too that will use vulnerabilities against you. So in order to sort of protect myself, I really had to pull back on certain things. I’m still super open and transparent about things that I think are genuinely going to be helpful for people, but I think that there's a line between the performance of healing and the actual process of going through difficult things - and trying to find the balance between what should remain private and what shouldn't.”
A woman looking unapologetically fabulous and being called attention-seeking? How original - yet Morgan didn’t let the ‘haters’ rain on her parade. “Something that I’ve really accepted as a core belief is that nobody is ever talking about me, Morgan. They’re talking about themselves. Especially when it’s so hateful and negative, it’s really a reflection of how I’m triggering something in them. I've learned to really not take things personally even when they are such hurtful and personal attacks.”
© David Reiss"The past six months have probably been the toughest period of [Taylor's] career since we started dating. But I have so much faith in him as an athlete and as a player.”
She continues, cool as you like: “When people talk sh*t about my outfits, it’s like water off a duck’s back. I couldn't care less. I also have all sorts of blocks on my phone for certain comments on Instagram. I don't read websites, news articles or comments on posts about me. Therapy has also been great.”
The best way to hit back at critics? A hot relationship and an even hotter wardrobe. Morgan has been dating her sporting star beau since 2020, after meeting via exclusive dating app Raya: “We actually just celebrated our five-and-a-half-year anniversary last week. This year especially, has been quite difficult. He's been dealing with numerous injuries, which makes winning matches really hard. The past six months have probably been the toughest period of his career since we started dating. But I have so much faith in him as an athlete and as a player.”
Thankfully for Morgan, Taylor is a professional through and through, leaving his frustrations on the court rather than bringing them home at the end of the day. “When he loses a match, he really just wants to be coddled, which I’m grateful for! He’s not the type that's going to get upset and shut down.”
The couple’s time outside of tennis season is equally wholesome. Winding down in front of an anime film together, going out to eat or visiting local art galleries makes for a low-key calendar. The relationship isn’t without its challenges, though.
“The lifestyle can obviously be quite difficult and exhausting. I love my girl time, and sometimes when we’re in Europe for a month, I don't get to see my girlfriends back in the US for weeks on end. I really have to put in a lot of effort to maintain those friendships. I've had to find friends that are okay with me jetting off for six weeks. It’s definitely taken time to get into the groove of things, like getting up when my alarm goes off and going into the workout class even when I'm jet-lagged and exhausted. Total first world problems definitely…” she notes in a self-assured manner.
Yet, it’s this relationship that has allowed Morgan’s personal style to flourish on a global stage. Working alongside her trusty stylist Emily, another Minneapolis native, the figurehead has curated the ultimate sartorial archive. From strawberry earrings to red polka dots à la Chanel (both sweet nods to Wimbledon), she has honed her preppy, feminine style to perfection. “I like to make things fun,” she notes with pep. “Especially for tennis, I try to include some sense of elegance, but I also like to be a little witty through the outfits. It adds another element of my personality to each look.”
© David ReissIt’s clear that Morgan is cut from creative cloth. Social media is much more than a mere platform from which the star shines - it’s a vehicle through which her artistic juices can flow: “I started social media and content because I liked the creative process of it. At this point, I'm financially comfortable, so I don’t have the desire to hit a million followers. I'm so grateful that I get to be creative and have fun with this, and that this is what I get to spend my day doing. If I feel like I'm getting in this cycle where I’m posting just to post, because I need to keep up my engagement, I'll just stop doing it. I guess I can be kind of selfish because then my followers are harassing me in my DMs asking, ‘When is your next YouTube video?’ I'm doing this as a creative work of art, not because I need to feed the algorithm. I think I've always had a really healthy mindset with that.”
How else does she keep on top of her ever-pinging notifications and mass internet following? Waking up early before everyone else, hitting the treadmill, practising pilates, being in the sunshine and museum visits. Oh, and revisiting self-help advice inhaled from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist's Way. The epitome of a Type A girl a small part of us would all like to emulate.
"I'm doing this as a creative work of art, not because I need to feed the algorithm."
“I am kind of a psycho about trying to sleep, which is ironic because in the five years that I've been travelling nearly full-time, I still haven't cracked jet lag. My body just has a really difficult time with it. So, before bed, I read every night while Taylor watches his shows on his iPad. But to be the absolute best version of myself, I need nine to ten hours of sleep. I have my mouth tape. I have my magnesium spray. I have my Hatch alarm clock. It’s my favourite thing in the world. It has about ten different white noise machine sounds. I have to sleep with white noise literally blasting in my ear because my boyfriend giggles in his sleep…”
Refreshingly candid and confidently in control of her narrative, Morgan isn’t just the girlfriend of sleep-giggling tennis royalty - she’s rewriting the rules courtside. With every bag, every dress and pristinely tailored Thom Browne suit, she’s carving out a fashion legacy of her own.
As for what’s next? She hints at a standout look for Wimbledon. But whatever she debuts in SW19 this summer, one thing’s for sure - she’s going to ace it.
