By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Photo credit: USTA
A polar vortex grips the Northeast.
However, amidst the chill, tennis is thriving and flourishing in the United States.
Jessica Pegula: The System is Severely Flawed
The United States tennis community is celebrating an impressive milestone, with participation hitting a remarkable 25.7 million players, according to the latest USTA announcement backed by “third-party research firms.”
This figure marks a significant increase, with nearly 2 million new players joining since 2023, rising from 23.8 million.
If you’ve graced the tennis courts in America this past year, you’ve not only kept those spaces free from a total pickleball takeover, but you’ve also likely noticed an invigorated community around you.
Astoundingly, one in every twelve Americans participated in tennis in 2024, the highest ratio recorded, surpassing the five-year average of one in sixteen Americans.
Tennis’s growth trend comes at a time when several other sports, including pickleball, basketball, and soccer, continue to expand their player base, signaling a robust resurgence for tennis.
Here are some compelling insights from the USTA’s report on domestic tennis participation growth:
Increased Player Retention with a notable five percent rise in retention rates over the previous year, alongside a nine percent increase in returning players after a break of at least one year. Additionally, first-time players joined the ranks, contributing to a total of 6.3 million newcomers in 2024. These trends illustrate a promising balance between nurturing dedicated players and expanding the sport’s reach.
Young Players Drive Growth with individuals under 35 leading the charge, accounting for nearly two-thirds of participation growth (+1.2 million players). This trend is particularly strong among those under 25, who made up 45 percent of the overall increase, highlighting tennis’s appeal to younger generations and suggesting a bright future for the sport in the U.S.
Enhanced Diversity in Participation with Black and African American tennis players growing by 26 percent, adding 662,000 participants, while Hispanic participation rose by 15.4 percent, totaling 4.54 million players. Furthermore, senior players also saw a surge, reaching 302K participants—a 17 percent increase. These patterns indicate tennis’s strengthening role as a fundamental aspect of community engagement and healthy living.
Record Engagement Levels with Core players (those who played 10 or more times in the previous year) reaching an all-time high of 13 million, constituting 50 percent of all participants. This growth surpasses last year’s figures by 11 percent, emphasizing a deepening commitment to the sport. Frequent players have also pushed total play occasions to an impressive 575 million, marking a nine percent year-over-year increase.
