Morgan Riddle’s TikTok page is filled with “get ready with me”s and daily vlogs that characterize trends followed by your everyday influencers. But Riddle is not your average influencer — she’s also the girlfriend of professional tennis player Taylor Fritz. In this way, Riddle exemplifies a new social media phenomenon, one that bridges the gap between influencers and celebrities: the WAG.
WAG is a term first coined by the British tabloids in the 2000s to mean the “Wives And Girlfriends” of professional soccer players, however, it has more recently applied to any professional athlete. While scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, chances are you’ve seen or interacted with creators like Morgan Riddle, Allison Kuch, and Fransisca Gomes, all of whom represent this unique group of women redefining what it means to be a WAG.
In the past, WAGs were expected to support their partner silently from afar, like an accessory to the athlete’s already successful life. But with the rise of social media, this narrative has changed. WAGs have taken on a fame of their own, no longer occupying the space beside their partner and instead standing in the spotlight with them. Through this somewhat unique role, they garner brand deals, modeling jobs, and even become full-fledged influencers who introduce more people, especially younger women, to the sporting world.
According to Glamour, The WAG craze began during the 2006 World Cup in Germany when a group of women was photographed laying on yachts during the day and partying into the night while accompanying their partners at the tournament. People became intrigued by this glamorous lifestyle, so much so that British tabloids such as The Daily Mail dedicated numerous articles and paparazzi pictures to the wives of Britain’s most famous footballers.
Back then, these publications were the main source of attention for WAGs, many of whom lost relevancy based on their partner’s form or status in the game. Many of these articles were filled with harsh criticism of their looks and personalities or plain distaste toward their extravagant, new-money lifestyle. But in the age of social media, specifically TikTok, sharing their unconventional lives became more accessible, and public perception changed. WAGs could now control what they wanted to show, often displaying the more lowkey, unexpected aspects of their lifestyles.
In Morgan Riddle’s case, she offers a behind the scenes look at the life of a professional athlete, posting day in the lifes or featuring her tennis-player partner in lipsyncing videos. Riddle is also not afraid of sharing the difficult aspects of her lifestyle, such as the grueling travel schedule and emotional reactions after a rough match. Allison Kuch, wife to NFL player Isaac Rochelle, has blown up on TikTok for this same transparency, combining get ready with me videos with serious conversations about the unpredictability of the NFL.
Social media users seem to enjoy these candid perspectives beyond all the glitz and glamour also plastered on WAGs’ pages. This effect no doubt has contributed to their success online, but it also exemplifies this new era of WAGs. These women are no longer famous just for their boyfriend or partner. They have found a way to garner attention on their own and even make their partner more likable by creating empathy among fans. By pulling back the curtain on their unconventional lifestyle, WAGs humanize their partner and keep them relevant, all through their own influence and fame.
Nowhere is this phenomenon more prevalent than in Formula One. According to ESPN, the motorsports series in 2022 saw a massive increase in female viewership — about 34% — from the previous year. Women made up 28% of the overall Formula One audience in 2022. While this surge could be due to the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, a lot of it also stems from the captivating personalities surrounding the drivers.
Fransisca Gomes (Kika), girlfriend of Alpine driver Pierre Gasly, has accumulated a large following on TikTok and Instagram, where she lip-syncs to funny sounds and shows off her humorous personality. Her relatability resonates with female fans, drawing them into the elusive world of Formula One and making the sport more accessible to female viewers. The behind-the-scenes content she and other WAGs produce makes fans curious about the sport, hence the jump in female viewership for Formula One.
Of course, this fame is not without its drawbacks. Negative comments on their pages and criticisms from tabloids, some as well known as TMZ, are persistent. Still, there’s no shortage of WAG fan accounts online, and their partnership deals do not seem to be slowing down in the slightest.
With one of the world’s most famous pop stars, Taylor Swift, now becoming a WAG, it seems as if this WAG craze is here to stay. Swift already has had an influence on NFL ratings, contributing to record viewership for Sunday Night Football games. She and this select group of women have made space for women in sports despite the backlash they may face. The WAG craze is a way for women to carve out their own influence and share their own voice in a role that has historically cornered them. No longer are they expected to merely stand in the shadows of their partner’s success — they leverage their unique position and create their own instead.