Tennis is Growing!

The nets have just been put back up on the local courts here in the north east, and already the courts are packed with recreational players. Tennis may not have the popularity of Sunday night football or March Madness, but the argument could be made that more people play tennis, than watch it, and those that are true fanatics do a lot of both.

Each year the USTA and the Tennis Industry Association call upon the Taylor Research Group to report some statistics on how many people are hitting the courts out there. Apparently the number is far greater than 15 years ago. Last year 27 million recreational players got out there; that's 12% more than in the last few years and 7%more than just last year. The study also showed that 5.62 million players report playing around 21 times a year and another 5.91 million people take up tennis as something new each year. This is not even counting the rest of the world and the professional and junior athletes.

Another clear indicator is the fact that ball sales have gone up %15 percent since 2003. Perhaps the great athletes we have today, alongside the marketing efforts and the belles of the court have all contributed to the popularity. But then again there are those that briefly follow it but love to get out and play more than they know. The most important thing is participation. Tennis is a family game and a game for people of all ages. This is why Tennis Racquets for Kids exists; everyone should have the opportunity to play because tennis is great!