Although globetrotting has its own drawbacks, it is also a luxury for tennis players that not many people are blessed with. Being on the road for over 30 weeks in a single season, making a living off your own craft, is a pleasant feeling. Tennis players get to embrace new cultures, stay in five-star hotels, and enjoy a mouthful of delicacies in every bite in a cafeteria.
Some players go the extra mile to put everything into video, relive these moments, and share them with their fans on social media. At the same time, other players view content creation as a source of passive income, particularly those that don’t make it to the highest tier of the tour to enjoy lucrative prize money tournaments. In this article, we shall list five prominent tennis players who own a YouTube channel.
Five Tennis Players Who Own A YouTube Channel
#1. Venus Williams (174K subscribers)
In 2023, Venus Williams did not rule out the possibility of playing professionally until 50. The legendary American plays a limited schedule these days as age and injuries continue to disrupt her biology-defying plan to play her 31st season on the WTA Tour.
Because of that, the seven-time Grand Slam champion runs her own YouTube channel with a subscriber count of 174,000 fans. As explained during her official announcement when the channel launched, the 43-year-old shares a wide range of tips for aspiring tennis players and even fellow pros, including tennis drills, fitness, and her match routine. She also reveals her wellness journey amidst physical struggles and occasionally responds to fans’ questions in Q&A sessions.
Hi everyone. I’m actually really excited to be launching my very own YouTube Channel! It will be a destination all things Williams, my family, me, fitness, tennis, wellness, design and more . Today I will be posting my first episode ‘Wilmington to Wimbledon' pic.twitter.com/56PoyM9WrN
— Venus Williams (@Venuseswilliams) July 1, 2019
#2. Stefanos Tsitsipas (186K subscribers)
Stefanos Tsitspas is not just one of the world’s top-ranked ATP players but a dedicated vlogger with exceptional photography and video-editing skills. Tsitsipas’ game is a work of art and has emulated the same when capturing the flora and fauna of some of the world’s most populous cities with a camera in his hand. After a one-year hiatus from vlogging, Tsitsipas uploaded his first video of 2024 of behind-the-scene footage at the Adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
#3. Jules Marie (119K subscribers)
He may not be a household name on tour, but ATP World No. 210 Jules Marie is a YouTube tennis sensation. His story of humble beginnings resonates with many lower-ranked players who don’t have the financial resources to take their game to the next level. Marie quit professional tennis at the age of 23 in 2015 because of financial constraints. He played local prize money tournaments in his native France and worked with the French Tennis Federation for a short period in order to make ends meet.
But at the height of the coronavirus pandemic a few years ago, the Frenchman learned of his untapped potential for content creation through his brother. He started a YouTube channel in 2019 and documents his practice sessions and the tournaments he plays in. The content is in French language, but English subtitles are incorporated two days after the video is uploaded. The 32-year-old was once Novak Djokovic’s hitting partner at the 2021 French Open.
Marie’s channel has blossomed, and he very recently revealed that he pays most of his expenses using the sustainable income he generates from the platform. He’s made YouTube a full-time hustle. Consequently, that has enabled him to come from retirement and play on the pro tour again.
Remember tennis player/YouTuber Jules Marie?
Well, it turns out Novak Djokovic knew all about his YouTube channel (!) and reached out to practice during the week of Australian Open qualifying (!!)
They had a quick interview in French afterwards.
Amazing gesture @DjokerNole 👏 pic.twitter.com/FmVCIsta6z
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) January 25, 2024
#4. Daria Kasatkina (44.9K subscribers)
Daria Kasatkina’s “What The Vlog” YouTube channel, which she co-owns with her partner Natalia Zabiiako, is one of the fastest-growing tennis channels on the platform. When it comes to trash-talking, backstage camaraderie, and an inside look at a tournament’s facilities, Kasatkina’s vlogs offer the kind of raw content that is often erased by the production teams on the WTA tour. Several ATP and WTA stars like Daniil Medvedev, Coco Gauff, Anastasia Potapova, Elena Rybakina, and Aryna Sabalenka are featured in these vlogs, which are mostly shot and edited by Kasatkina’s pair skating girlfriend, Zabiiako.
#5. Maria Timofeeva (4.3K subscribers)
Kasatkina is not the only Russian player on this list because Maria Timofeeva is also in it. Last season, the 20-year-old emerged as one of the breakout stars on the women’s tour. She won a maiden WTA title in Budapest as a lucky loser. This season, Timofeeva has broken new ground. She reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open (from qualifying). If you missed all that, then Timofeeva has it all covered in her delightfully named channel “Kiss My Ace,” which she co-founded with fellow player Ekaterina Kazionova.
Main Photo Credit: Cara Owsley – USA TODAY Sports
