Court Challenge: USTA Seeks To Have U.S. World’s No. 1 Tennis Nation By 2035

By Barry Janoff

April 3, 2024: The U.S. Tennis Assn. has issued a challenge to the USA.

Stating that “When the delivery system flourishes, tennis grows,” the USTA, the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S., today unveiled a multi-faceted growth strategy aimed at making the United States the No. 1 tennis-playing nation in the world by 2035.

The goal is to increase the country's tennis-playing population to 35 million total players, or 10% of the country's population.

The USTA said the growth strategy is the “vehicle for realizing its new mission: Growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere. The strategy includes a dedicated focus on player retention, coaches and courts.”

The USTA did not attach a financial number to support its plan.

According to the USTA, over the past four years, “tennis participation in the U.S. has experienced remarkable growth of 33%, fueled by new players taking up the sport.

“This growth stretches across a variety of communities, with participation among Hispanic/Latino players and Black/African-American players growing by 105% and 63%, respectively, over the past five years — making tennis look more like America than ever before.”

However, even with this surge, the USTA said “too many players give tennis a try and then choose not to continue. Recognizing Americans are playing tennis at a variety of ages and abilities, across different types of facilities, and in and outside of organized play, the USTA wants to meet them where they are.”

According to research site Statista.com, “In 2023, the number of participants in tennis in the United States peaked at approximately 23.84 million, denoting an increase of one percent over the figure reported in the previous year. This was a continuation of the growth experienced in 2020 and 2021 when the number of participants surpassed 20 million.”

The participation level in the U.S. was flat prior to that, with 17.77 million in 2011 and 17.68 million in 2019.

According to the just-released 2023 YouGov Global Fan Profiles survey, Spain is the country with the highest share of tennis followers in the world.

Per the survey, 30% of respondents from Spain answered that they followed the sport. This was double the global average and four percentage points higher than second-placed Australia (26%) and Switzerland (26%).

Poland, Italy  France, India and Argentina each registered above 20%.

In the U.S., just 8% of adults said the same.

"When players have exceptional experiences, we all succeed," Lew Sherr, USTA CEO and executive director, said via the organization. "When the delivery system flourishes, tennis grows. At the USTA, our role is to be a connector of excellence across the entire tennis ecosystem."

Accordng to Sherr, “By ensuring players new and old have access to the programs, coaching and facilities they need to progress on their tennis-playing path, we can continue to grow the game and deepen its positive impact — creating new opportunities for human connection and improving the physical, mental and emotional health and safety of our communities, both on and off the court."

Top American pro players currently include in the ATP Tour Top 50 Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Christopher Eubank.

Top American pro players currently in the Hologic WTA Tour include No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 5 Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro, Danielle Collins and Sloane Stephens.

The USTA said the new strategy is aimed at “continuing the sport's strong uptake and better retaining existing players by supporting local communities and providing options for tennis formats, equipment and programs that enable players coming to the game to become players for life.”

The USTA strategy includes making a generational investment in strengthening tennis by creating and scaling programming that keeps new and returning players on the court — for life; expanding the availability of quality coaching at all levels; maximizing court availability to keep pace with participation; and supporting and elevating the next generation of stars.

"We can't let current or future generations miss out on (tennis’) life-changing benefits," Dr. Brian Hainline, USTA chairman and president, said via the organization.

“Whether it's the thrill of watching professional play or swinging a racquet on a community court, it's important to help ensure that communities everywhere have access to the life-enhancing benefits of our wonderful sport."

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