Opinion A reality dating show presented by US Open: Love games look good only in matches

It’s not quite the centre-court showdown one might expect at a Grand Slam, but the USTA, organiser of the US Open, is hoping its latest wild card will still serve up some buzz. This year, a reality dating show, “Game, Set, Matchmaker”, will shadow a former figure skating champion as she volleys her way through seven romantic hopefuls — all on the tournament venue in the week leading up to the main event. The eight-episode series will air on YouTube, with the finale dropping during the women’s final, because, of course, nothing pairs with a baseline rally like a soft-focus exchange about emotional availability.

Critics are crying gimmick and if the serve feels a bit wide, it is with reason. Tennis has long flirted with the need to modernise but it has, so far, limited itself within the sport’s ambit. The Australian Open has leaned into animated streaming to widen viewership; Wimbledon has relaxed its all-white dress code for women. In the US, despite the sport’s grassroots popularity, national viewership still can’t quite hold serve. And yet, dressing the tournament in reality-tv gloss runs the risk of overplaying the point. Tennis is, after all, a sport built on structure and restraint — its very essence born from the unscripted choreography of long rallies, the expectant hush between points, the tension of attacking and recalibrating in real time.

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If the USTA really wants to connect with a new generation, it might do well to trust the drama and plot twists embedded in the game. Tennis is inherently cinematic, a love story of unusual depth built on a foundation of showing up again and again — despite its overwhelming demands, despite the critics or the scoreboard. If tennis keeps mistaking visibility for vitality, it risks forgetting that relevance isn’t built through novelty alone. It’s built through storytelling that respects the game — and assumes the audience can, too.