MAY DECLARED NATIONAL TENNIS MONTH IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

MAY DECLARED NATIONAL TENNIS MONTH IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

NEWPORT, RI - On Thursday, May 4, Mayor Xaykham (Xay) Khamsyvoravong declared May as National Tennis Month in Newport in a ceremony at the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHOF). The Mayor was joined by Sabina Matos, Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, new ITHOF CEO Dan Faber and President Patrick McEnroe and representatives from the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) of New England.

Newport is the first New England city to officially make this declaration.  

National Tennis Month is a nationwide grassroots effort driven by the USTA and its industry partners celebrating tennis, a sport which challenges one both physically and mentally. For 31 straight days, players, local coaches, facilities, retailers, tennis manufacturers and more will be driving awareness about the sport and its benefits by bringing existing and new players to the game with special events, promotions and play opportunities in their communities.

Tennis participation has seen significant growth over the past two years, with people turning to the sport to stay physically fit in a safe manner. According to the latest Physical Activity Council’s participation report, more than 23.6 million people hit the tennis courts in 2022. That number represents a 33% increase since the start of 2020, with 5.9 million more players picking up a racquet. In addition, according to multiple sources and studies, tennis has been shown to have a significant positive impact on the health of participants. According to one study, tennis players on average lived an additional 9.7 years than sedentary individuals.

“The increase in tennis participation for the third year in a row is not only important