US Tennis Participation on the Rise

For the second straight year, the sport of tennis saw significant growth in
participation and equipment sales in the U.S. in 2021.
After recreational players took to the sport in record numbers at the start of the pandemic, the groundswell continued last year as more players hit the courts throughout the country.

According to a study conducted by the Physical Activity Council, an independent organization that studies participation levels across 20+ sports, 22.6 million players took to the court in 2021. This number was a 4.5% increase from 2020 and a 27.9% increase from 2019 – and an increase of 4.9 million players from 2019 to 2021. The growth in the number of individuals participating in tennis from 2019-2021 was more than all other racquet sports combined!

Data from the Tennis Industry Association also supported the growth in tennis, with racquet sales increasing in numerous areas in 2021. The individual number of racquets sold increased by over 22% (3.4 million units) and 46.2% in total dollars ($122.9 million) as compared to 2020.

“We are incredibly energized by the tremendous growth our sport has seen these past two years, and especially gratified that this growth is being driven by young players and new communities,” said Mike McNulty, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “The USTA built a strong foundation for growth, and we are now seeing the results of all of that hard work.”