The article presents research around the mediatisation of sports through the lens of production and consumption of tennis media. Contemporary accelerated culture pushes for the proliferation of digital media technologies and reshapes cultural practices for audiences, institutions, and athletes alike. The rise of prosumer media and user-generated content (UGC), exemplified by platforms like YouTube, has challenged traditional media narratives. It has reoriented discourses around authenticity, and framed tennis as a sped-up, gamified, accessible entertainment by-product in the digital age. While elite athletes gain global media stardom, aspiring professionals and semi-professional athletes balance their careers by attempting to become notable content creators and producers in this new media ecosystem. The concept of the ‘post-athlete’ connects to reflexive modes of existence, where athletes navigate the political economy of sports media through the interplay of athletic labour, digital media labour, and lifestyle. My study focuses on this emerging athlete prototype, for whom media labour influences career success as much as on-field sporting performance does.
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