Daniel Fusch
Johnson on set, shooting for Wilson’s AW25 collection
For decades, tennis has been admired for its elegance, tradition, and athleticism. But visually, the sport has often been framed in predictable way; action shots, tournament highlights, and sponsor placements. Enter Ben Johnson, a creator-athlete who has transformed the way tennis is experienced. With his cinematic lens, Johnson fuses sport, culture, and lifestyle, reshaping how the game is portrayed and opening tennis to entirely new audiences.
With a following of over half a million across Instagram and TikTok, Johnson’s brand ‘The Tennis 101’ has cultivated a global community inspired not only by the sport itself, but by the worlds surrounding it – fashion, travel, and storytelling.
A Singular Vision
What sets Johnson apart is not just what he films, but how he films it. Unlike traditional campaigns that require large creative teams, Johnson conceives, directs, films, and edits every piece of content himself. This unity of vision gives his work a distinctive aesthetic: sweeping drone footage of cliffside courts in Italy, immersive portraits of luxury tennis resorts, and intimate conversations with icons of the sport.
It’s a body of work that feels less like marketing, and more like cinema.
“Tennis had never been shown this way before,” Johnson explains. “I wanted to bring emotion, beauty, and storytelling into the sport – making it resonate beyond the court and more appealing to a younger generation.”
Collaborating with Global Icons
That vision has led Johnson to work with some of the most prestigious names in sport and luxury, including Wilson, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, and the Four Seasons. Across these partnerships, he has directed, produced, and starred in campaigns that carry his unmistakable cinematic signature. Content that elevates products into cultural moments while connecting tennis to wider lifestyle conversations.
From Legends to the Next Generation
Johnson’s work also extends into storytelling with the sport’s greatest athletes. He has interviewed legends such as Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams, as well as current and most recent former world number ones and Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. These moments have given fans a rare chance to see tennis icons in a more personal, cultural context.
Breaking New Ground with WME/IMG
Recently, Johnson signed with WME/IMG, becoming the agency’s first tennis creator. The signing marks a new era in his career, placing him among the ranks of some of the world’s biggest tennis stars who are also represented by the powerhouse agency.
“They recognized how different my vision was from anything else happening in the sport,” Johnson says. “For me, it’s about creating a bridge between tennis and the wider cultural conversation.”
The move confirms Johnson’s role as not only a content creator but also a cultural pioneer, building a new lane for tennis within the entertainment industry.
Beyond Influence: Building Culture
More than just social media presence, Johnson has built a tennis lifestyle movement. His videos have inspired fans to travel to far-flung courts, book luxury tennis hotels, and reimagine the sport as a cultural experience rather than just a competition.
Johnson in conversation with World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, part of his series of interviews with tennis’s biggest stars
And as his reach expands, so does his vision. Johnson is developing plans for a performance sportswear and accessories brand that merges functionality with fashion, bringing his cinematic sensibility to design.
A New Era of Tennis Storytelling
While the grind of being a one-man production is demanding—balancing daily training, global travel, and constant content creation—Johnson thrives on the challenge.
“Everything you see, from the drone sweeps to the edits, is me,” he shares. “It’s exhausting at times, but it’s also what gives the work its authenticity. People know it’s not just content—it’s my art form.”
Looking ahead, Johnson aims to expand into long-form storytelling, documentaries, and experiential events that merge tennis with culture, film, and design.
“Tennis is just the starting point,” he says. “I want to show how it can connect with everything. Including fashion, travel, music, architecture. The sport has endless stories waiting to be told.”
In reimagining the sport for a new generation, Ben Johnson isn’t just documenting tennis. He’s redefining its culture, one frame at a time.