International Tennis Federation president lists Esports as one of the reasons why Tennis needs to reform

Who would’ve thought that one day video games will be threatening one of the international mainstay traditional sports? That day has come, according to the president of International Tennis Federation David Haggerty, who listed esports as one of the reasons why Tennis needs to do better.

Esports is set to become a medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games, the second-largest multi-sports event in the world. This is the first step in becoming an Olympic sport in the future, and it’s what made Haggerty consider the threat.

“Young people have many different alternatives and we have to make sure that our sport remains relevant for them to play,” Haggerty told news agency Reuters in an interview. Reuters sports correspondent Karolos Grohmann quote Haggerty saying that he “will ensure a solid future for the sport despite growing competition and the emergence of esports.”

As esports gains in popularity around the world, there’s a chance that many traditional sports could struggle to keep their viewers and players. That’s one of the reasons why IOC president Thomas Bach urged sports leaders to embrace innovation. “We live in a fast-changing world and the role of sport in society is constantly evolving too. Innovation becomes the key to adapt to this new reality,” Bach said in April.

Bach himself isn’t exactly a fan of esports himself. While he admitted that esports is highly attractive among young people, he personally believes that “some of these games are contrary to all [Olympic] values.”

Leaders from the world of traditional sports seem to be conflicted, but it doesn’t really matter what people say in for or against esports, The only thing that counts is viewership. And in that regard, esports is doing better than ever and even almost catching up to real sports like Basketball and Hockey