Tennis Participation Grows In U.S.

Written by: Staff on 12th December 2012

BNP Paribas 2012 Masters Tennis Tournament

Tennis Participation Grows In U.S.

epa03453623 John Isner of the USA returns the ball to Michael Llodra of France during their second round match at the BNP Paribas 2012 Masters tennis tournament in Paris, France, 31 October 2012. EPA/IAN LANGSDON |

Tennis participation in the U.S. grew 4% in 2012, topping 28 million players for the first time since 2009, according to an annual survey by the U.S. Tennis Association and Tennis Industry Association. It’s the second highest total number of players recorded since the survey began in 1988.

The age demographic that saw the greatest percentage increase in 2012 was young players aged 6 to 11, which increased 13% from 2011. For the past two years, the USTA has invested significantly in 10 & Under Tennis, along with long-term commitments from the tennis industry.

More than 6,500 U.S. tennis facilities now offer 10 & Under Tennis programs, and in 2012, the USTA helped install or build more than 4,400 youth-sized tennis courts in 371 markets. (In all, the USTA has helped develop more than 10,000 kid-sized courts since 2010.) In addition, through three quarters in 2012, wholesale shipments of red, orange and green tennis balls were up 41%.

Several other key segments of the tennis-playing population saw significant increases in 2012. The number of “frequent” tennis players, those who play at least 21 times a year, grew from 4.8 million in 2011 to 5.3 million in 2012. “It’s heartening to see the total number of frequent players increase by 10% in 2012 after all of our collective efforts the past few years to drive this most immediate and impactful consumer segment of the tennis economy,” says TIA President Jon Muir. “Frequent players represent more than 70% of all consumer spending across the tennis industry.”

The number of “rejoining” players, those who left the game then decided to come back, also increased in 2012, up 6% over the previous year to 7.3 million—the largest number in the last 10 years. Since 2006, there has been a generally steady increase in the number of former players coming back to tennis, as the number of re-joiners has increased nearly 50% in the last six years.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: 10 & Under Tennis, American tennis news, Sports, Tennis, Tennis Industry Association, Usta

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