News

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Technological product innovations are impacting all sports and fitness activities, and tennis is no exception. The sport has always been one to embrace new materials and technologies as it continues to add to the 17.9 million U.S. tennis players in the U.S, based on research from the Tennis Industry Association (TIA).

“For tennis players, and those who want to play the sport, having access to new technology with user-friendly feedback will bring the tennis experience to a new and different level,” notes TIA Executive Director Jolyn de Boer. “This technology gives players the feedback that they want and can use to improve their on-court performance and fitness levels.

Tennis has embraced technology for at least a decade through the fitness-based program Cardio Tennis, the fastest growing segment of tennis, up 26% since 2014, to 1.83 million players. From its creation in 2005, Cardio Tennis has promoted the use of heart-rate monitors, so participants can play and train in their ideal heart-rate zone for maximum benefit.

“The popularity of these technologies with tennis consumers looks strong since participation is on the upswing,” adds de Boer. “Smart Court technology and wearables also offer coaches and facilities an opportunity to capitalize on this growing trend with ‘smart lessons’ and also provide exciting adaptations for near-perfect player matching.”

According to the TIA, there were 2.07 million new tennis players in 2015, which is a 3.8% increase compared to 2014. And, another 2.2 million players returned to tennis in 2015, which is a 14.8% increase. In addition, 14.75 million Americans who are non-players are interested in playing tennis, and another 12.8 million who may not have played in the past year “consider themselves” tennis players.

During the State of the Tennis Industry Forum and Tennis Owners & Managers Conference, both held during the Miami Open and presented by the TIA, a number of new tennis products and accessories were showcased during the inaugural Tennis Tech Fair. Afterward, attendees were encouraged to touch and try out these new high-tech tennis products and to find out more about TIA Tech and SaaS Partners who provide solutions for tennis businesses to manage their operations and engage their members.

Some of the products and technology highlighted in Miami included:

COURT TECH SYSTEMS

RACQUET TECHNOLOGY

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

BALL MACHINE TECHNOLOGY

During the Tennis Tech Fair showcase, it was revealed that three of the top fitness trends in 2016, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, are wearable technology, smart phone apps, and outcomes. “All those themes apply to tennis and the many new tech products that are ‘game-changers’ for our sport,” adds de Boer. “It’s an exciting time for tennis — its players and businesses — as we expect to see growth through the use of ‘smart-tennis’ technology to help attract, engage and retain current and future players.”

About the TIA

The Tennis Industry Association, the not-for-profit trade association for tennis, is THE unifying force in the tennis industry whose mission is to promote the growth and economic vitality of tennis by working closely with the U.S. Tennis Association and industry partners to develop and implement initiatives to increase tennis participation and improve the health of industry businesses. Core TIA activities include producing more than 70 research reports annually on participation and consumer/trade research, in addition to Grow the Game Initiatives such as PlayTennis.com, Cardio Tennis, 10 and Under Tennis, the GrowingTennis System™, and Careers in Tennis. Visit TennisIndustry.org or call 866-686-3036.