USTA reports surge in tennis participation led by growth in ethnic diversity

A recent report by the USTA, 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), has revealed that the latest surge in tennis participation is the result of an increase in players from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

The news comes as a follow-up to a January announcement by the USTA that 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.

The 23.6 million tennis players in the U.S. is more than the combined number of people playing pickleball (8.9 million), badminton (6.5 million), racquetball (3.5 million) and squash (1.2 million).

This growth has been driven by people of color, which now represents 38% of the overall tennis-playing population, up from 32.5% in 2019. Participation has seen the most dramatic increases amongst Hispanic/Latino players, with 3.8 million players in 2022, representing a 90 percent increase over the last three years. In addition, tennis-playing in the Black/African American participation increased by 46% over the last three years, with 2.3 million players in 2022, and in the Asian/Pacific Islander participation by 37% in the same span, with 2.4 million players in 2022.

Speaking on behalf of the organization, USTA Chairman of the Board and President Brian Hainline said that the numbers are indicative of strides the USTA is making in fulfilling one of its chief missions.

“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,” Hainline said. “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.”

Some work that the USTA has done to facilitate tennis-playing opportunities in the U.S. to bolster these increases included providing $9.4 million in funding for facility assistance and grants; bringing tennis to 20,000 schools as a part of physical education programs; and earmarking grants and scholarships for under-resourced youth around the country who play tennis through National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters, which offer free or low-cost tennis and education programming through the USTA Foundation.