American tennis star Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend Morgan Riddle has become a cultural phenomenon that extends far beyond the tennis court. The 27-year-old influencer and fashion trendsetter has captured the attention of millions while supporting her boyfriend’s rise to tennis stardom and simultaneously building her own media empire.
Fritz Credits Taylor Fritz Girlfriend for His Success
Taylor Fritz has publicly acknowledged the significant impact his girlfriend has had on his tennis career. After his quarterfinal victory at Wimbledon 2025, Fritz expressed his gratitude for Riddle’s unwavering support throughout their relationship. “There’s been a pretty constant results and ranking rise since we’ve been together,” Fritz told reporters. “I think I would have to say she’s been a big help to me just kind of keeping me focused, having someone who cares and just pushes you to just do better and do the right things, be healthier.”
The American tennis player, who has climbed to No. 5 in the world rankings, credited his Taylor Fritz girlfriend with helping him maintain discipline in his daily routine. “Almost like kind of just mother me in a way,” he admitted with a laugh, “with like, the diet and going to sleep on time.” Taylor Fritz later acknowledged that comparing his girlfriend to a mother might not have been the best choice of words.
From Minnesota to Tennis Stardom
Morgan Riddle grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where tennis was virtually non-existent in her world. The oldest of four children, she was raised by her mother Heather Riddle, an executive at Minnesota Public Radio, and her father Rob Kimm, a fishing writer and instructor. Her family was deeply rooted in hockey culture, with her sister playing college hockey and her father also having played the sport at the collegiate level.
“My whole family plays hockey,” Riddle explained in an interview with ATPTour.com. “Hockey games you show up in boots and a sweatshirt and you drink beer. It’s a very different atmosphere than tennis is.” Her early interests leaned toward theater and speech and debate rather than athletics, making her eventual immersion into the tennis world all the more remarkable.
Educational Background and Early Career
Riddle attended Wagner College in Staten Island, New York City, where she studied English Literature from 2015 to 2019. During her college years, she was exceptionally ambitious, completing seven internships by the end of her junior year. These internships spanned various industries, including magazine work, newspaper reporting, government office positions, a coffee company startup, and real estate, with many roles involving social media management.
Her academic achievements were impressive, maintaining a 3.7 GPA despite her busy schedule. She was actively involved in extracurricular activities, serving as president of the student alumni association, public relations chair for her sorority Alpha Delta Pi, and director of the campus and admissions blog “Hawktalk”.
The Dating App Connection
The Taylor Fritz girlfriend story began in early 2020 when Riddle met Fritz on the exclusive dating app Raya. Having just moved to Los Angeles during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Riddle was seeking connections in a new city where she “didn’t know anybody”. Their first date was unconventional, taking place during lockdown restrictions with takeout sushi and a horror movie.
“Because it was during Covid, no restaurants were open, no bars were open so we ordered sushi,” Riddle recalled. “We went to his place and I made him watch Midsommar with me, the really messed up horror movie. Why I chose that as my first introduction to a guy, I don’t really know. I think I traumatized him a little bit.”
At the time they met, Riddle had no knowledge of tennis. “I didn’t know a thing. Literally not a thing. I knew who Federer was. I didn’t even know who Nadal was. That’s not a joke,” she admitted. However, she has since become well-versed in the sport, considering herself “a tennis expert at this point”.
Social Media Empire and Influence
Morgan Riddle has built an impressive social media presence that has made her one of the most recognizable faces in tennis. She currently has nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and more than 450,000 followers on Instagram. Her combined social media following exceeds one million across all platforms.
Her rise to prominence began with a viral TikTok video at the 2022 Australian Open, where she posted a “Get Ready With Me” video that garnered significant attention. The video, which announced her “personal mission to make tennis cool again,” helped establish her as a bridge between tennis and younger audiences. While the video received some backlash from traditional tennis fans, Taylor Fritz publicly defended her efforts, stating, “I think what she did was awesome for our sport”.
Fashion Influence and Tennis Culture
The Taylor Fritz girlfriend has been credited with transforming tennis fashion and culture. Her carefully curated outfits at tournaments have earned her the nickname “Tennis Barbie,” a moniker she has embraced rather than rejected. “Sometimes my outfits are inspired by asking myself the question, what will piss male fans off the most today?” she shared on TikTok.
Riddle has been featured in prestigious publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and The New York Times’ Style section. Her fashion influence extends beyond social media, as she has partnered with Wimbledon to host “Wimbledon Threads,” an official video series focusing on tournament fashion. The series explores how tennis has become “the chicest sport in the world”.
Breaking the WAG Stereotype
The term “WAG” (wives and girlfriends) has traditionally carried negative connotations in sports culture, but Riddle has worked to redefine what it means to be a modern athlete’s partner. Rather than simply supporting from the sidelines, she has built her own career and platform while maintaining her relationship with Taylor Fritz.
“When I initially began dating Taylor, I accepted that I would be labeled that way regardless,” she explained. “Instead of resisting the term, I choose to embrace it and attempt to change its negative connotation.” Her approach has been to create her own parallel career path rather than simply following her boyfriend’s trajectory.
Netflix Fame and Media Presence
Both Riddle and Fritz gained additional exposure through their appearance on Netflix’s “Break Point,” a tennis documentary series created by the same team behind “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”. The series provided an intimate look at their relationship and Fritz’s career challenges, including his struggles with ranking and performance anxiety.
Riddle found the Netflix experience to be authentically handled, noting that the production team maintained a “fly on the wall” approach rather than manufacturing drama. “It was very natural. They kind of were just there with cameras following what our life is actually like,” she said.
Business Ventures and Partnerships
Beyond her social media presence, the Taylor Fritz girlfriend has developed several business partnerships and ventures. She has worked with major brands including Wilson, with whom she recently signed a sponsorship deal. In 2023, she partnered with Lottie NYC to launch her own tennis jewelry collection, featuring tennis necklaces and bracelets designed to appeal to younger tennis fans.
Her business acumen extends to understanding her audience and creating products that resonate with her demographic. “I just don’t think there are a ton of brands that really appeal to us as a group yet,” she explained about her motivation for creating tennis-themed products.
Challenges and Criticism
Despite her success, Riddle has faced criticism and challenges as a public figure in the tennis world. She has been open about the loneliness that can come with touring life, particularly as the partner of an individual sport athlete. “It’s really lonely,” she revealed in an interview. “You spend so much time by yourself and you really need to be a very independent person.”
She has also dealt with misogynistic comments and assumptions about her role in Fritz’s career. “People make a lot of assumptions about me or will see a five-second clip on the TV at Wimbledon and go online and say really nasty things,” she shared. However, she uses her content creation as a way to combat these misconceptions and show her authentic self.
Supporting Fritz’s Career
The relationship between the Taylor Fritz girlfriend and the tennis star has been characterized by mutual support and shared goals. Fritz has frequently acknowledged how Riddle helps him stay organized and focused. “I’m very organized and Type A and making sure he’s on time for everything,” Riddle explained. “That’s not exactly his personality, but I think I help in that aspect a lot.”
Their partnership extends beyond personal support to professional collaboration in their shared mission to make tennis more appealing to younger audiences. “I think that he appreciates that we both have this collective goal of bringing it to a younger crowd,” Riddle told People magazine. “He does his part of it and I do mine.”
Future Aspirations and Impact
As Taylor Fritz continues his pursuit of Grand Slam success, his girlfriend remains a constant presence in his support system while building her own brand. Her influence on tennis culture has been significant, with many crediting her with helping to modernize the sport’s image and attract younger fans.
The Taylor Fritz girlfriend phenomenon represents a new model for athlete partners in the digital age. Rather than remaining in the background, Riddle has leveraged her platform to build her own career while supporting her boyfriend’s ambitions. Her success demonstrates how social media can be used to create authentic connections with audiences and drive cultural change within traditional sports.
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