Meet Eliza Wastcoat, the content creator who's found her place in the game

Life takes you to strange places.

Eliza Wastcoat was a girl growing in London where tennis was also present, but not necessarily in the forefront of her own life. Even after serving as a Wimbledon ball kid, her path was not interwined with tennis as she began her professional career. But during a period of the world where time seemingly stood still, Wastcoat reached back into personal memory vault and found that passion for tennis.

In the four years since, she has taken parlayed her love of playing tennis into a platform where she covers the game globally. She's active on several social media platforms including X and Instagram, and the influencer creates weekly content that dives into the world of tournament results, fashion, and trends in the tennis landscape.

Wastcoat's appearance on the Inside-In Podcast sheds light into her decision to join the media landscape on her own terms, and how she is constantly looking for new ways to introduce this beautiful sport to more and more people.

After Wastcoat's memorable run as a ball kid at the All England Club, tennis was not really part of her adolescent and young adult life. She moved to the United States to attend the prestigious Lehigh University, and began her professional career at a creative agency.

But when the world shut down during the global pandemic, it was tennis that found it's way back into Wastcoat's consciousness. She asked a family friend who was a serious instructor for help improving her backhand, and suddenly she was spending hours on court in a state of bliss.

"I fell back in love with the training, and played five days a week. It's been uphill ever since," Wastcoat recalled. "I think that's what's rewarding about tennis. You can just focus on being the best player that you can be. It doesn't have to be a comparison to anybody else."

With a strong love for tennis and a willingness to be bold, Wastcoat decided to enter the world of social media. She started creating content at a furious pace, and immediately stood out in a crowded space with her authenticity.

Whether it's fashion tips, analysis of recent match play, or moments in the pro game that rec league players can relate to, the content creator has found her stride and her voice.

"I'm not sure quite what it was, but a switch flipped for me last year during the Australian Open where I just sort of thought, I don't care anymore. I'm just going to share things that I love, and hope people engage with me," Wastcoat stated. "It's a journey. I think it's accepting that your first post isn't going to be your best one, and that's ok.

"And also putting perfection aside. You're never going play a perfect tennis match, it's hard to always have a perfect social media post," she continued. "Once you kind of spend some time in that world and engaging with other people, you sort of come to realize it's a game like anything else that you can play."

As someone who has made a name for herself on social media, Wastcoat certainly sees the value in what those platforms can mean for the players. She highlighted two of the biggest figures in the female game that have done a masterful job in that area, while remaining true to themselves.

"Swiatek likes a tighter bubble, wants to be much more tight knit with her team and doesn't seem to be quite as extroverted. Whereas you see Sabalenka on social media, she's making fun of her coaches, she's making silly videos and engaging with her fans," Wastcoat explained. "It's all about being authentic to who you are as a player, and people connect to you for different reasons.

"There's room to be yourself and advocate for the things that you care about, and using your platform and your voice to be as authentic as you can be."

A switch flipped for me last year during the Australian Open where I just sort of thought, I don't care anymore. I'm just going to share things that I love, and hope people engage with me. Eliza Wastcoat

Wastcoat has become a shining figure is the tennis community because she embraces each day as any top flight player would. She prepares, she works together with others, and she shares her opinion on matters ranging from lighthearted to serious.

In this podcast, you'll hear her share experiences interviewing players, discuss ways for tennis to improve and increase the volume of fans, and weigh in on the men's short inseam length debate that is captivating the world. Wastcoat is a breath of fresh air in the social media landscape that can take this game to new heights.

Business is just getting started in Eliza's World.