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2007 -- A Record Year for Tennis in the U.S.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The USTA today announced that the sport of tennis in the United States grew on every level in 2007 — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. One of the strongest years in nearly two decades, tennis in the U.S. set records in event attendance, television viewership and recreational participation. Record highlights include:

• All-Time US Open Attendance Record: The 2007 US Open final attendance total of 715,587 far surpassed the previous all-time high of 659,538 set in 2005. US Open attendance has grown by more than 100,000 since 2000. Total attendance of all pro tennis events in North America topped 2.8 million.
• Record-Breaking Viewership for US Open Series: US Open Series television viewership topped 46 million for the first time, more than doubling in the four years since the Series launch. In total, 121 million viewers tuned in to the US Open and US Open Series tournaments.
• Fastest-Growing Participation of any Major Sport Since 2000: More than 25 million Americans are now playing tennis. This increase in participation has fueled the four best consecutive years of growth for industry sales since the 1970’s.
• All-Time High USTA Membership: More than 720,000 members for the first time in history.
• United States Wins Davis Cup: The U.S. captured its first Davis Cup title in 12 years.

“The USTA has a longstanding commitment to grow the game at every level,” said Jane Brown-Grimes, President and Chairman of the Board, USTA. “It is very encouraging to see so many record-breaking numbers, proving that tennis is again on the rise in the U.S. From the game’s grassroots to the professional level, we have tremendous momentum heading into 2008.”

“We will remember 2007 as a great year for tennis — with more people attending, watching and playing the sport,” said Arlen Kantarian, CEO, Professional Tennis, USTA. “Professional tennis in the U.S. is setting new records and is strongly positioned to further engage fans in 2008 and beyond. We, along with our key partners, will continue to look for new, innovative ways to showcase and grow the game.”

“Our goal is to get more people playing tennis, and to get all tennis players playing more often,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “Record participation and membership numbers are evidence that our efforts are producing results. We’ll be launching new and exciting grassroots initiatives in the coming year to keep those numbers growing.”

Posted on December 21, 2007
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