PAC Study: Tennis participation continues to be strong in US, USTA Missouri Valley

For the fifth consecutive year, tennis participation in the United States grew in 2024. A total of 1.9 million new players gave tennis a try last year, an 8.3% increase from 2023 that lifted the total number of tennis players in America to a new high of 25.7 million. That’s according to data collected through the Physical Activity Council (PAC) and administered by Sports Marketing Surveys USA.

About 1 in 12 Americans play tennis, the best proportion on record. Strong increases in the Black/African American and Hispanic communities contributed significantly to the surge as tennis continues its push to look more like America. A total of 2.3 million lapsed players returned to the sport as well.

“I love seeing the numbers increase as more people around the country continue to pick up a racquet and enjoy our sport,” said Mary Buschmann, USTA Missouri Valley CEO and executive director. “We will continue to engage our communities to enhance the fun in tennis with family and friends.”

USTA Missouri Valley continued to contribute toward the USTA’s goal of reaching 35 million tennis players by 2035 in the U.S., with 1.2 million people playing tennis in the section in 2024.

Opportunity for growth continues, with an estimated 809,000 individuals “very interested” in giving the sport a try. Since 2019, USTA Missouri Valley features an annual growth rate of 10.7%.

The PAC study is the nation’s largest single-source research study of sports, recreation and leisure activity participation. The annual study tracks participation across 122 sports, fitness and recreation activities, and it draws from a nationally representative panel of more than 1 million Americans.

USTA Missouri Valley Results

A total of 1.24 million individuals 6 years and older played tennis at least once in 2024 within USTA Missouri Valley. While nearly identical to ’23 participation data, that figure represents a 464,000 player increase compared to 2019, underscoring the section’s steady contribution to the national player pool.

About 169,000 individuals returned to the sport after not playing in 2023, while 168,000 people tried tennis for the very first time in ’24. USTA Missouri Valley’s growth potential remains promising with a strong contingent of non-playing prospects stating they are “very interested” in playing tennis now.

USTA National Results

Players under 35 were critical to the sport’s surge in 2024, with nearly two-thirds of all growth (1.2 million players) coming from this segment. That’s particularly clear among those under 25—who drove 45% of total gains—to give the sport a bright trajectory. Senior participation (65+) likewise thrived with 302,000 new participants, which represents a 17% increase.

About 79% of 2023 tennis players participated in the sport again the following year, which represents a five-year high for retention. First-time players totaled 4.5 million with the sport losing its fewest number of players since 2020.