Tennis Participation Grows for Third Straight Year, to 23.6 Million

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., January 12, 2023 – The USTA introduced that in 2022, tennis participation elevated for the third consecutive 12 months within the U.S. Tennis participation grew by a million gamers final 12 months with greater than 23.6 million folks enjoying the game. This quantity, when added to the earlier two years, represents a rise of 5.9 million, or 33 %, for the reason that begin of 2020. This info was compiled by the Tennis Business Affiliation, and shall be introduced in higher element within the 2023 Tennis Nationwide Participation Report accessible later this month.

“The rise in tennis participation for the third 12 months in a row just isn’t solely essential for the well being of our sport, but additionally for the well being and well-being of those that have made the sport part of their lives,” mentioned Brian Hainline, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “Tennis has a large number of advantages, starting from the psychological to the bodily, and we’re excited to assist lead the continued progress of a sport that helps gamers of all ages and skill ranges keep energetic and wholesome.”

The expansion and well being of the game was not restricted to simply participation, as a wide range of key efforts and initiatives had been centered on growing entry to the sport and making the general tennis expertise higher for all gamers. Included within the highlights:

Well being and Effectively-Being

Based on a number of sources and research, tennis has been proven to have a big constructive impression on the well being of individuals. Included within the results:

Tennis gamers on common lived a further 9.7 years than sedentary people.
The 9.7 further years for tennis gamers ranked highest amongst all sports activities included throughout the examine, beating out soccer by 5 years (4.7), biking by 6 years (3.7), swimming by 6.3 years (3.4) and jogging by 6.5 years (3.2).
Participation in racquet sports activities, together with tennis, reduces danger of all-cause mortality by 47 % and cardiovascular-related loss of life by 56 %.

Amenities and Public Parks

The USTA continued its work in supporting the infrastructure of tennis within the U.S. via varied amenities grants and assist work. In 2022, the USTA labored with greater than 100 amenities throughout the nation to offer technical help to construct or refurbish courts at public parks and tennis amenities. Greater than $750,000 was awarded to greater than 45 complete initiatives, with $285,000 going to new building initiatives. These efforts characterize greater than 585 courts accomplished, and an impression of greater than $50 million in tennis infrastructure.
The USTA additionally issued the primary ever Tennis and Pickleball Assertion of Steerage, developed with park professionals and courtroom contractors, detailing ways in which public parks might most effectively, economically and successfully incorporate the expansion of each tennis and pickleball inside their communities.

The introduction of the ITF World Tennis Quantity

In 2022, the USTA labored with the Worldwide Tennis Federation (ITF) to introduce the ITF World Tennis Quantity within the U.S. Developed by the ITF and free to all gamers within the U.S., the World Tennis Quantity is without doubt one of the most superior and correct score programs on the planet, and all gamers within the U.S. who play in a USTA occasion are routinely assigned a World Tennis Quantity, without charge. Based mostly on a 40-point scale, with 40 representing the skillset of a starting participant and 1 being similar to an elite skilled, the ITF World Tennis Quantity is a worldwide score system, incorporating participant outcomes and information from greater than 150 nations. At the moment, greater than 1.4 million gamers based mostly within the U.S. have energetic World Tennis Numbers.

Faculties

Tennis was supplied in additional than 20,000 colleges throughout the nation, as a part of their general bodily teaching programs. Because the begin of 2017, the USTA has donated tools to eight,300-plus colleges, together with donations to almost 1,600 colleges in 2022, giving 5.9 million kids entry to the game.

Junior Play

Numbers elevated throughout the board for junior gamers competing within the Aggressive Pathway. This included each an 18 % enhance in distinctive junior event gamers and a 25 % enhance in junior memberships.

USTA Basis and NJTL Chapters

The USTA Basis, the charitable arm of the USTA, contributed greater than $7 million in assist, providers and funding to Nationwide Tennis & Studying (NJTL) chapters, which assist under-resourced youth via free or low-cost tennis and teaching programs.
The Basis additionally awarded greater than $435,000 in scholarships for 46 scholar leaders in 2022.
In complete, the Basis affected greater than 125,000 youth from 300-plus NJTL Chapters throughout the nation.

USTA League

USTA League, the nation’s largest grownup tennis league for gamers of all ability ranges, grew by 11 % in 2022, with 284,000 distinctive individuals competing all year long.