Findings: Tennis retaining players, becoming more diverse

In the latest data published by third-party research firms, the USTA today confirmed that tennis participation in the United States has surged to a new high of 25.7 million players following five consecutive years of growth*. The nearly two million player increase from 2023 (up 1.9 million from 23.8 million) marks a significant acceleration in excess of eight percent growth. One in every 12 Americans played tennis in 2024 - the highest proportion on record. This exceeds the five-year average ratio of one in 16 Americans. In an increasingly competitive sports and recreation environment, this expansion demonstrates tennis' broadening appeal and strengthening position in the U.S.

Other significant findings on tennis participation growth from the research include:

Retained and returning players are on the rise with a five percent increase in retention rates over 2023 reaching a five-year high, while those who returned to the game after a break of at least one year rose nine percent. First time and returning players brought 6.3 million players to the game in 2024 and tennis lost the fewest number of players year over year since 2020. This balanced momentum represents an ideal scenario for the sport – simultaneously cultivating committed players while broadening reach.

Tennis is increasingly attracting a younger player base as players under 35 powered tennis' expansion in 2024, contributing nearly two thirds of all growth (+1.2 million players). The youth influence is especially clear among those under 25, who drove 45 percent of total gains. This concentrated growth among younger segments underscores the sport's strong appeal to new generations and suggests a promising trajectory for tennis' future in America.

The game is increasingly more diverse with 26 percent growth in Black / African American participation, representing a 662,000 player increase, and Hispanic players up 15.4 percent, to 4.54 million players over 2023. Senior players too are on the rise with a 17 percent increase in growth to 302K participants. These trends suggest tennis is strengthening its position as a cornerstone of community engagement and healthy lifestyle choices.

Tennis reached a new milestone in engagement in 2024, with Core players (those playing 10+ times in the past 12 months) growing to a record 13 million, representing 50 percent of all participants. This expansion in committed players surpassed 2023 by 11 percent and signals deepening engagement across the sport. The rise in frequent players has helped drive total play occasions to 575 million, a nine percent increase over the previous year.

Also announced today in a separate press release (click here), the USTA has committed $10 million in grants to tennis courts and facilities across the country to ensure there are ample spaces to meet player demand, especially in underserved communities. Since 2005, the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services (TVS) grant program has awarded more than $19 million in grants, including $1.2 million in 2024 that impacted more than 500 courts in more than 60 communities. Court investments that refurbish, build and extend playable hours on courts is one of the three major strategic focus areas for the USTA in its growth strategy.

“This report confirms what we know at the USTA: tennis popularity continues to grow and is a sport that is increasingly looking more like America than ever before,” said Lew Sherr, USTA CEO. “Along with our section partners, our mission is to get more people on the court to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere and we are thrilled to see these numbers validate the work we do. We will continue to do our part through an ambitious strategy to grow the game to 35 million players by 2035, a goal that is both actionable and achievable as we seek to bring the benefits of the world’s healthiest sport to more people across America.”

The extraordinary growth in tennis last year comes as the USTA continues to execute against the goal to grow broad-based participation to 35 million players by 2035. The strategy includes a focus on innovating new programs and varied play formats; getting more directly involved with coaching to elevate, expand, and support tennis coaches at all levels; and ensuring court infrastructure meets player demand where they are. This ambition is in service of the USTA’s purpose-driven mission of growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere.