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Surge in Tennis Participation Led by Growth in Ethnic Diversity

March 2, 2023

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 2, 2023 – The USTA announced further demographic information detailing the continued surge in tennis participation in the U.S. The breakdown reveals a significant increase in the Hispanic/Latino, Black/African-American, and Asian/Pacific Islander populations over the last three years. The information was provided by the Physical Activity Council Study on Sports and Physical Activity (PAC) administered by Sports Marketing Surveys USA and the Tennis Industry Association Participation and Engagement Study (PES).

As was announced earlier this year, tennis participation increased by one million players in 2022, marking the third consecutive year of growth by one million or more new participants for tennis in the U.S. The 23.6 million people playing the sport represents an increase of 5.9 million, or 33 percent, since the start of 2020.

Over that same three-year span, the USTA provided $9.4 million in funding for facility assistance and grants in an effort to ensure that the sport would be able to properly capitalize on this significant increase in participation, and facilitate a successful delivery system moving forward. Looking ahead, the USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the USTA, has also pledged $6 million in grants over the next three years targeting participation growth and infrastructure/facilities projects at National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) chapters, which support under-resourced youth through free or low-cost tennis and education programs.

Key findings from the data:

“One of the goals of the USTA is to make tennis ‘look like America’ and to do that we need to help make tennis available to people from all walks of life, in all communities,” said Brian Hainline, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “Tennis is the ideal sport for individuals and families of all ages and abilities, with extensive health and wellness benefits, and we are pleased to see that a more broadly diverse group of people are becoming active and healthy through this wonderful sport.”

The growth and health of the sport was not limited to just participation, as a variety of key efforts and initiatives were focused on increasing access to the game and making the overall tennis experience better for all players. Included in the highlights: