Tennis, everyone: USTA CEO Lew Sherr on the new strategy for the growth of tennis

Q: So in essence, not just what the USTA does but why it does it.

Sherr: Exactly. We believe that creating a more purpose-led mission will inspire the work force, inspire the volunteer corps, inspire providers, and inspire anyone that has anything to do with the sport. I think it reinforces why tennis matters in our country and in our society. And the values that go hand-in-hand with that mission—wellness, inclusion, community—are also underpinnings of why what we do matters. Tennis changes lives and enhances communities—it’s our job to share it with as many people as possible.

Q: The most obvious addition to the new mission statement is the word “healthier.” Do you feel like the USTA needs to do a better job of promoting tennis as the healthiest sport? 

Sherr: Yes, we need to promote tennis as the world's healthiest sport. That is not USTA branding, that is the fact about tennis. We've got the longevity data from several different sources that proves that. And if we look at the data around why people play tennis, it starts with health. And so wherever and whenever we can we can promote the health benefits of tennis, we want to do so. That means we are, in effect, a wellness organization.

Sherr: I'll take a step back and say that we, for the first time, developed a multiyear growth strategy for participation in our sport. We've had lots of growth strategies for the US Open, but we've never had a defined growth strategy for participation. And the goal that we have set for ourselves—and it's quite bold—is to become the most popular tennis playing nation in the world by 2035. What that means is we would have to get 10% of the U.S. population playing tennis, and 10% of the U.S. population in 2035 projects out to about 35 million players. 

That's what's behind it. And then we've identified three pillars of that growth strategy and those are player retention, coaching, and facilities. All of those things are vitally important, but player retention tops that list. We need to do a better job at not just getting people into the sport but retaining them. Better coaching, more facilities—and more accessible facilities—will help make that possible. 

Q: That said, tennis has seen a consistent increase in participation across each of the last four years.

Sherr: That’s true, and we’re thrilled with that. But last year, organically, we got 4.8 million new players into the sport, but then 98% of them leave. The difficulty is not getting people into the sport, it’s keeping them. Casting a wider net is not the answer. If we brought more people in for the first time, it would just exacerbate the court issues we’ve seen across the last ten years. So we're not going to put resources against bringing people in. We're going to focus our resources around delivering better experiences for those who do come in.

So it's a mix of building new, spurring development, protecting what we have, but then also getting, much better at maximizing utilization of courts where they do exist. All of that is part of what we're endeavoring to do. 

Q: Succeeding at much of what you talk about seems like it will depend on partnerships. Can you talk a bit about the importance of partnerships in making all of this happen. 

Sherr: Partnerships are critically important. We don't have tentacles out into every court in America or the ability to communicate with every player in America. And we're looking at ways to further that partnership. We need to strengthen partnerships with CTAs, Parks and Recs, and anyone who can help to deliver better experiences for players, more play opportunities, and help extend our reach. Having said that, we have resources that no one else in tennis has—primarily financial. And we intend to deploy those resources to support player retention, recruit more coaches, better train coaches, and spur, protect, and support facility growth.

Q: Can you talk a little more about the USTA’s interest in getting more involved with coaching?

Sherr: What I've told everybody is we are going to control our own destiny in the coaching space. It's too important to the growth of the game. And we have resources that that we can bring to bear in support of coaching, to bring in more coaches of color, to elevate or enhance the training experiences and educational opportunities for coaches, and offer business advisory services for coaches that are running facilities. We can ensure that more coaches are Safe Play certified. We want—we need—to make sure that tennis is delivered in the most efficient, impactful way. 

Q: You talked about the importance of partnerships within the industry. Talk a little bit about partnerships within the USTA’s 17 sections and how important that is to getting things done. 

Sherr: You've heard me since day one—we are and will be a bottom-up driven organization as it relates to our mission. The sections are our partners on the ground who are driving the growth of the sport. Anything we do, related to growing participation in a region, is going to be done in partnership with our sections and with their leadership. Because no one knows better than them what it will take to grow the sport in their respective communities. No two sections are alike. They all have different challenges and opportunities. And our job is to provide them with the resources so that they can successfully do the things that work for the local environment.

Q: So with so much focus on community tennis, is the USTA’s involvement in professional tennis altered in any way? Will there be less focus on the pro game?

Sherr: No, we remain fully committed to supporting and elevating professional tennis here in America, particularly when it comes to providing a clear path for our next generation of stars to unlock their full potential. We’ve had extraordinary success around the US Open, and we expect that to continue. And we’re looking at investments that will allow us to continue that growth, both in terms of programing and the facility itself. The US Open is the economic engine that drives this organization. It’s also our best platform to promote the game. And together with the other Grand Slams, we’re working to figure out how we can help elevate all of professional tennis in a way that will engage more fans around the world, create better economic opportunities for players and more sustainable business models for tournament owners, and unlock the growth that that we know exists in our sport.

Q: In conclusion, can you sum up what makes you confident that the USTA can succeed in its newly-stated mission and achieve the goal of becoming the most popular tennis-playing nation?

Sherr: The USTA’s greatest strength is the partnership that exists between sections and national. There are very few governing bodies that have the kind of resources that we do at the local level; 17 sections with a professional staff that is probably larger than the professional staff at the national office. And then you layer in the volunteer and staff dynamic, both at national and sections, which gives us resources, expertise, manpower that truly is unmatched. We do a phenomenal job driving the economics of our organization to support the sport, and our USTA Foundation does an incredible job providing access and opportunities for underserved youth.

I truly believe that we have the team that can make our goals a reality. And I am confident that we will.