As tennis stars have chased Australian Open glory on the court at Melbourne Park the profiles of their wives and girlfriends have soared off it.
Morgan Riddle has reportedly emerged as the ‘most influential WAG’ from the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
The 26-year-old American has been spotted Taylor Fritz’s player box throughout the tournament, as she supported her boyfriend in the men’s singles.
According to a study by QR Code Generator, QRFY, Riddle has enjoyed the biggest increase in Instagram followers throughout the tournament.
Riddle’s profile has reportedly gained 29,215 followers over the two week Grand Slam, more than three times the amount of the next WAG.
Morgan Riddle has reportedly emerged as the ‘most influential WAG’ at the Australian Open
Riddle has been supporting her boyfriend Taylor Fritz throughout the tournament
The influencer has reportedly seen a spike of 29,215 followers during the two-week event
She turned heads last week after betting her boyfriend she would eat a ‘jar of Vegemite’ if he won his match against seventh seed Stefanos Tsitipas. Fritz did his part, winning in four sets against the 2023 Australian Open finalist.
Riddle uploaded a video to Instagram of her struggling to eat a spoonful of Vegemite following the challenge.
The iconic Aussie brand hit back at the American influencer, questioning why Riddle make the rookie mistake of eating Vegemite on its own.
‘If you’re going to do it, at least do it right. Australia, thoughts?’ their social media team posted on Tuesday night.
She soon responded, posting: ‘Sourdough bread with heaps of buttah?’
Riddle, who has been dubbed as the ‘first lady of tennis’ thanks to her very glamorous courtside appearances, defended herself after being accused of ‘overdressing’ at the tournament.
‘I don’t believe you can be overdressed for anything,’ the influencer told Harper’s BAZAAR Australia.
‘No matter where you’re going, overdressing is just a social construct and I prefer to ignore those.’
Riddle has been dubbed as the ‘first lady of tennis’ due her glamorous courtside appearances
Riddle has said she takes ‘no offence’ to the term WAG other than the ‘negative connotations’ that surround the term in ‘misogynistic sports culture’.
Riddle bet her boyfriend she would eat a ‘jar of Vegemite’ if he beat Stefanos Tsitipas
Riddle was born in Poland but grew up in Minnesota before moving to Los Angeles.
She graduated from New York City’s Wagner College with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature in 2019 and then went on to work as a social media director for a fashion brand.
Riddle has said she takes ‘no offence’ to the term WAG other than the ‘negative connotations’ that surround the term in ‘misogynistic sports culture’.
‘Anyone in the position of being a partner to a professional athlete knows how difficult and stressful it is to support someone in their position,’ Morgan said.
‘If people want to disregard me because I’m “just a WAG,” so be it. It’s a privilege to be underestimated.’
Riddle had shot to fame during the Australian Open in 2022 after she posted a ‘get ready with me’ video that went viral on social media.
Since then, she has rebranded herself from a little-known WAG to an influencer and courtside fashion commentator, even hosting a series called Wimbledon Threads in 2023.
It is claimed that Riddle can earn up to £2,000 per sponsored social media post due to now having 234,900 followers on Instagram.
Paige Lorenze, the girlfriend of American star Tommy Paul, has enjoyed a rise of 8,611 Instagram followers during the tournament
Lorenze has been known for documenting her life as a tennis WAG on both TikTok and on YouTube
Alexander Zverev has been supported by his model girlfriend Sophia Thomalla at the tournament
Thomalla has been in Zverev’s players box at Melbourne Park during his run to the semi-finals
Paige Lorenze, the girlfriend of another American star Tommy Paul, has enjoyed a rise of 8,611 Instagram followers during the tournament.
The model and influencer now boasts 554,000 followers on Instagram.
Lorenze, a passionate skier, is an influencer that also founded a clothing brand called ‘Dairy Boy’.
She has been known for documenting her life as a tennis WAG on both TikTok and on YouTube.
German star Alexander Zverev has been supported during his run to the Australian Open semi-finals by Sophia Thomalla.
The 34-year-old is a renowned actress, model and television presenter in Germany.
Coming from a star-studded family, Sophia’s parents Simone Thomalla and André Vetters are also actors.
Thomalla boasts 1.4million followers on Instagram and has reportedly had an increase of around 6,780 during the Australian Open.
Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend Ayan Broomfield reportedly is fourth in the most influential WAGs during the tournament, with an increase of 1,926 followers.
Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend Ayan Broomfield reportedly is fourth in the most influential WAGs at the tournament
Costeen Hatzi completed the top five, despite her boyfriend Nick Kyrgios missing the Australian Open through injury
Remarkably Costeen Hatzi completes the top five in the study, despite her boyfriend Nick Kyrgios not featuring at the tournament.
Hatzi’s Instagram followers have reportedly spiked by 1,614.
Kyrgios has been getting rave reviews for his work as a commentator at the Australian Open, after injuries restricted him to just one professional match in 2023.
The 28-year-old has denied reports he is considering retirement from the sport.