"Same reason Livvy Dunne out earns fellow gymnasts" - Fans react to Daria Saville's claim about WAGs receiving more brand deals than tennis players

Daria Saville recently laid bare an observation she has made about tennis WAGs (wives and girlfriends) often securing lucrative brand deals. According to Saville, the WAGs fit more into the 'aesthetics' of the sport instead of the actual players. The former No. 20's take prompted reactions from several tennis fans, with the majority agreeing with what she had to say.

In a recent TikTok video, Saville spoke up about 'tennis aesthetics' before talking about WAGs in the sport bagging more high-profile brand deals compared to players. She also claimed that when she reached out to some influencer WAGs with the same concerns, they expressed their surprise. The video later made its way to Reddit.

"Let’s talk brand deals for a second. Tennis aesthetics are in right now, right? It’s all over the place, but female tennis players are not getting those brand deals. It’s actually tennis WAGs that fit into the ‘aesthetics’ rather than us sweaty tennis players. I've spoken to a few influencer WAGs and they're surprised that we don't get the same opportunities. Is it that athletes are not as relatable as WAGs to audience?" Daria Saville said.

Daria Saville: Tennis WAGs get better brand deals than women tennis players byu/theriverjordan intennis

Tennis fans on Reddit didn't take long to start their discussions on Daria Saville's thought-provoking admission. One fan cited the example of American artistic gymnast Olivia 'Livvy' Dunne, who has also established herself as an internet personality and an influencer.

According to the fan, Dunne's work as an influencer has helped her to more financial rewards compared to fellow gymnasts. The same fan brought up the 2024 earnings of WTA stars Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka.

"Maybe this isn't it but to me It's the same reason why Livvy Dunne, a college athlete, out earns her fellow gymnasts. sex sells and marketability is what advertisers go after. I'm sure there are other factors but last year Raducanu and Osaka both made around $15 million in endorsements, while earning less than a million in prize money," the fan wrote.

Raducanu soared to overnight fame after securing the 2021 US Open title as a qualifier. After her title triumph in New York, big brands such as Dior, Tiffany & Co., British Airways and more lapped her up, despite her on-court performances since then being mostly marred by inconsistency.

Osaka, a former No. 1 and four-time Major winner, remains one of women's tennis' most marketable names even though she is yet to rediscover her finest form following her return to the sport last year after becoming a mother in 2023.

Another fan wrote about ATP star Taylor Fritz and her influencer girlfriend, Morgan Riddle. Over the years, Riddle has become an almost inseparable part of Fritz's travels around the world, and much of her influencer work revolves around the lifestyle and fashion aspects of tennis. At the time of writing, Riddle has more than 435,000 followers on Instagram.

"I saw a clip of Morgan recently saying her and Taylor have a competition who can make the most money at slams, and he needs to make at least R4 (could have even been QF), to beat how much she can make. I found that absolutely wild, I knew influencers made a lot, but to make that much in such a small window of time is mental," the fan opined.

Here are some more reactions to Daria Saville's TikTok video on the subject of WAGs getting more financial opportunities in tennis compared to the players:

"Advertisers know most people wouldn’t pay attention if it’s a player they don’t recognize. But if it’s a conventionally attractive person in a reel or post. many people will watch because of the subconscious assumption that they’re worth watching…having been trained from seeing over and over random attractive people on their feed," stated one fan.

"Its pretty sad tbh that you could make more money being the girlfriend to a tennis player than being a player yourself... I hate the world," another added.

"Many valid points were made 👏🏻," yet another fan chimed in.

"This is such a shame. It’s akin to the Kardashians amassing followers and deals and making millions off it all with no talent. I’d love to see the whole NIL situation in the United States create a marketing path for pro tennis players the same way it has started to for college athletes," weighed in another.

In 2024, Daria Saville infamously had a shocking on-court meltdown at the US Open, and later revealed the financial reality that sparked it.

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"Where else will I make money?" - Daria Saville after US Open 2024 1R loss

Daria Saville in action at the 2024 US Open (Source: Getty)

Daria Saville was the World No. 95 on the WTA Tour's singles rankings at the start of her 2024 US Open campaign. However, the Australian was stunned in the first round by doubles specialist Ena Shibahara. The result meant that the Australians' ranking would slip to No. 98.

After Shibahara converted a match point, a clearly frustrated Saville lost her cool and her racket bore the brunt of it, as she violently smashed and destroyed it. Later, she spoke up about her financial situation and how it was the sole reason for her participation at the 2024 US Open. At the time, Saville was battling a condition known as plantar fasciitis in her foot, which involves moderate to severe heel pain.

"Like, where else will I make money? I lose money every week if I bring a coach. (I shouldn’t) play but where am I going to make prize money like that? I will regroup, maybe. I really want to play the Asian swing but sometimes I maybe feel like I don’t even want to do this thing anymore," Daria Saville said.

Daria Saville's latest on-court outing came at the Puerto Vallarta Open, where she reached the second round before losing to Linda Fruhvirtova.