Marketing women’s professional tennis

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the marketing efforts and use of social media to promote women’s professional tennis. The chapter begins with an introduction to the globalized nature of professional tennis. This is followed by a more acute discussion of the development of gender equality in professional tennis. Tennis is often cited as a sport that has made significant inroads into achieving gender equality. However, continued gendered stereotypes and examples of masculine hegemony still persist, which has significant implications on the marketability of women’s professional tennis players, and the sport as a whole. In acknowledgement of the media’s role in shaping gendered sport representations and coverage of women’s sport, this chapter then explores media and marketing representations in professional tennis. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the use of social media as a strategic marketing communications tool to promote women’s professional tennis, and offers insights into how they may be used to overcome traditional male dominance.