Tennis Fastest Growing Sport in America

QuickStart Tennis is a great way to introduce kids to tennis. © USTA

Tennis participation reached 27 million players in 2008. © USTA

According to data just released by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), tennis is the fastest growing sport in America among individual traditional sports with an increase in participation of 43 percent from 2000 to 2008. According to the SGMA, tennis was one of only six sports to experience participation growth exceeding 40 percent from 2000 through 2008. Tennis is well ahead of other traditional sports like baseball, ice hockey, gymnastics and football, all of which suffered a decline in participation during the past eight years. In the last year alone (through December 31, 2008), tennis experienced a 9.6 percent growth in participation.

The SGMA study is the latest in a series of reports and studies that have cited the extraordinary growth for tennis. In December, the Taylor Research Group (TRG) reported that tennis participation reached a record high of 27 million players in 2008, more than any other period in the past 15 years. Sales of tennis racquets and balls have both also increased significantly, most notably, an 88% increase in the sale of youth racquets from 2003 through 2008, according to the TRG report.

“The SGMA study is a clear validation of all the hard work and commitment that our industry has put into the sport,” said Jon Muir, president of the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), and General Manager of Wilson Racquet Sports. “We’ve focused not only on reinforcing our already strong base, but at the same time, we’ve developed new, innovative programs to bring players, of all ages and skill levels, into the game.”

“From programs like QuickStart Tennis that makes it easy for young players to get into the sport and begin a developmental pathway; to high school and college programs like USTA’s No-Cut and Tennis on Campus, which keeps them in the game; to the innovative and fitness based Cardio Tennis, which combines tennis with a healthy and fun work-out curriculum, the tennis industry is at the forefront of engaging and retaining players,” added Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “We’ve tried to make tennis as accessible as possible at the grassroots levels, which we’ll continue to do, by promoting initiatives to grow youth and adult participation in order to keep this momentum going.”

“Together with the USTA, the TIA has also established more than 2600 Tennis Welcome Centers across the country, and provides an online Growing Tennis System that lets consumers find places to play, partners with comparable skill level and other programs that all serve to enhance their overall tennis experience,” adds Muir.

The TIA, USTA and many other industry partners have been united since 1993 in a joint effort to support “Grow The Game” activities, a strategy to increase tennis participation on several levels.

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