Annual Study: Tennis participation in US, USTA Missouri Valley continues to rise

The sport of tennis experienced a fourth consecutive year of increased participation in the United States in 2023—with USTA Missouri Valley making the biggest year-over-year jump among the 16 USTA sections studied—according to data collected through the Physical Activity Council (PAC) and produced by Sports Marketing Surveys.

The annual PAC study—completed in tandem with data obtained through the National Golf Association’s Participation and Engagement Survey—showed a 1.1% participation increase in tennis in the U.S. for individuals 6 and older from 2022 to 2023. The uptick of about 250,000 American tennis players pushed the total beyond 23.8 million.

First-time participants numbered 4.8 million, the second-largest figure on record. That represents a 14% boost compared to 2022 and a 133% surge since 2019. Of the 23.8 million individuals who played tennis in America in 2023, 20% did so for the first time. In total, tennis was played 527 million times throughout the year, a 36% jump from 2019.

USTA Missouri Valley nets significant increase

Within the five-state region and parts of Illinois comprising USTA Missouri Valley, tennis participation escalated 23% from 2022 to 2023. Of the 16.7 million people 6 and older in the section, about 1.2 million (7.4%) played tennis at least once in 2023. The 23% year-to-year spike is the highest among USTA sections.

Tennis participation in USTA Missouri Valley is nearly 3% above pre-pandemic levels for the section. About 1 in 14 people in the section played tennis once or more in 2023. Since 2019, USTA Missouri Valley is home to the second-best annual growth rate among USTA sections at 12.5%.

PAC study shows rise in racial diversity within tennis

Five years ago 7 of 10 American tennis competitors were white. For 2023, 40% of U.S. players were non-white, which represents a high-water mark in the PAC report’s history. 

Since 2019, the Hispanic/Latino population in America playing tennis has leapt 105%. Participation among African-Americans has spiked 63%, and Asian/Pacific Islander participation has improved by 49%. Participation among white individuals is up 14% as well.

Females account for 43% of the U.S. tennis population. Individuals between the ages of 6 and 34 account for 55% of American tennis players. Within USTA Missouri Valley, 47% of players are female and 59% of players are 6 to 34 years old.

The PAC report demonstrated USTA Missouri Valley has 554,000 core players—those who hit the courts 10-plus times a year. These core participants average 18.2 days of play and make up 45% of tennis players within the section. There were a total of 11.8 million core players nationwide in 2023.

Public parks represent a popular place for tennis enthusiasts to go, as 49% of the section’s players primarily get their game in there. Schools/colleges (15%), recreation centers (15%) and private tennis clubs (10%) are the next most popular locales on the list. Nationally, public parks (42%) remain the most popular place to play tennis followed by schools/colleges (16%), private tennis clubs (12%) and rec centers (12%).

Ongoing potential for tennis growth

More than 25 million people in the U.S. who didn’t play tennis in 2023 indicated they are “very interested” in doing so now, according to the PAC report. That figure is 1.3 million more than the number of individuals who played tennis in 2023, pointing to a significant opportunity for growth potential in the sport.

Within the USTA Missouri Valley nearly 1 million people expressed strong interest in trying tennis for the first time, which is more than 100,000 individuals higher than two years ago. Despite the section’s significant five-year growth, opportunity remains for continued expansion.

Each year the PAC conducts the U.S.’s largest single-source research study of sports, recreation and leisure activity participation in the nation. If you’re ready to help grow the game, play for the first time or jump back into the sport for a healthier lifestyle, click here for more information.