TENNIS PARTICIPATION CONTINUES TO SURGE WITH SIX CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF GROWTH, REACHING 27.3 MILLION PLAYERS IN 2025

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United States Tennis Association

Feb 18, 2026, 11:00 ET

MORE PLAYERS ENTERED AND STAYED IN THE GAME,
WOMEN AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR DROVE GROWTH,
UNPRECEDENTED INTENT TO PLAY SIGNALS STRONG DEMAND
FOR FUTURE GROWTH

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ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The USTA today announced that tennis participation in the United States increased by 1.6 million in 2025 to eclipse a new high of 27.3 million total players. Since 2019, tennis participation in the U.S. has grown by 54 percent, adding nearly 10 million players over six consecutive years of growth. According to the independent study findings, the growth of tennis was driven by more play occasions, more players coming and staying in the sport, and strong momentum from play by women and communities of color.  

U.S. tennis participation continues to surge with a new high of 27.3 million tennis players with a 54 percent increase since 2019.
U.S. tennis participation continues to surge with a new high of 27.3 million tennis players with a 54 percent increase since 2019.
U.S. tennis participation makes up 14.5 million core players who play more than 10 times a year, 20.7 million retained players and 4.9 million first-time players.
U.S. tennis participation makes up 14.5 million core players who play more than 10 times a year, 20.7 million retained players and 4.9 million first-time players.
The number of Black/African Americans playing tennis increased by more than 450,000 players, Hispanic/Latino players were up more than 550,000 players, Asian/Pacific Islander players grew by more than 260,000, and women grew by more than 1.1 million players.
The number of Black/African Americans playing tennis increased by more than 450,000 players, Hispanic/Latino players were up more than 550,000 players, Asian/Pacific Islander players grew by more than 260,000, and women grew by more than 1.1 million players.
U.S. tennis participation continues to surge with a new high of 27.3 million tennis players with a 54 percent increase since 2019. U.S. tennis participation makes up 14.5 million core players who play more than 10 times a year, 20.7 million retained players and 4.9 million first-time players. The number of Black/African Americans playing tennis increased by more than 450,000 players, Hispanic/Latino players were up more than 550,000 players, Asian/Pacific Islander players grew by more than 260,000, and women grew by more than 1.1 million players.

"This sustained participation growth reflects strong demand for our sport across a diverse range of communities nationwide," said Brian Vahaly, Chairman of the Board and Interim Co-CEO, USTA. "As we advance toward our goal of 35 million players by 2035, we will continue investing strategically to ensure this momentum translates into sustained participation and a stronger tennis ecosystem. Our goal is to expand access so more people across this country can play the world's healthiest sport and experience the physical, mental and social benefits it has to offer."

In addition to the significant overall participation growth, tennis showed strong performance across many key metrics in 2025*: 

  • People are playing more often: "Core players," defined as individuals who played 10 or more times throughout the year, increased by 1.5 million to 14.5 million in 2025. This means that as overall participation has grown, so has the number of people that are regularly playing tennis, with more than half of all players (53 percent) considered "core players." This increase also helped drive the more than 616 million play occasions in 2025. 
  • Women were significant drivers of growth: In 2025 1.1 million more women took to the court than in 2024, representing a 10-percent increase from 2024.
  • Participation among people of color experienced significant gains: The number of Black/African Americans playing tennis increased by more than 450,000 (14 percent), Hispanic/Latino players were up more than 550,000 (12 percent) and Asian/Pacific Islander players grew by more than 260,000 (10 percent). All three of these groups represent greater percentage growth than the overall increase.
  • More first-time players entered the sport: Tennis recorded an uptick in new players entering the sport, with 4.9 million picking up a racquet for the first time – up 9 percent year over year. 
  • Player retention rates are up: Players also remained in the sport at a higher rate than in 2024, with 20.7 million players staying in the sport, up 10 percent (1.8 million additional players retained) in 2025. In addition, 1.7 million players returned to tennis after having been away from the sport for more than one year.
  • Unprecedented intent to play:  More than 25 million respondents that currently do not play tennis are very interested in playing the sport. This represents a strong subset of individuals that could shift to a playing population.

*The participation numbers reported are the result of analysis done by the National Golf Foundation (NGF), which analyzes and validates data from two national studies - the Physical Activity Council (PAC) Study on Sports and Physical Activity and the PLAY Study (formerly known as the Participation and Engagement Study). These two studies each annually survey 18,000 participants aged 6 and up, resulting in a significant sample size of 36,000. Both the PAC and PLAY studies utilize the same questions and methodologies, to ensure the same measurements are captured.

The complete 2026 U.S. Tennis Participation Report can be found here.

About the USTA
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, along with approximately 100 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA's philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and TikTok.

For more information, contact:
Brendan McIntyre, [email protected]
Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, [email protected]

SOURCE United States Tennis Association

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