New England Tennis Hits Historic High: 1.4 Million Players Lead Regional Surge

WESTBOROUGH, MA – Tennis in New England is experiencing an unprecedented era of growth, according to the newly released 2025 Physical Activity Council (PAC) study. For the first time in recent history, the region’s tennis participation rate has climbed above the national average, with 1.4 million New Englanders (ages 6+) taking to the court in the past year.

This record-breaking figure represents a 21.7% increase over 2024 and a staggering 36.4% jump since 2021. Perhaps most significantly, 1 in every 11 New Englanders now plays tennis, surpassing the national average of 1 in 12.

A Sport for Everyone: Diversity and Public Access

The surge isn’t just about the number of people; it’s about who is playing. The 2025 report highlights a significant shift toward a more inclusive and accessible sport:

• Public Courts Lead the Way: Nearly half of all players (45%) primarily use public parks, proving that tennis is breaking free from its "country club" reputation and thriving as a community-based sport. 

   

  • 1.2 million dollars was invested by the USTA for infrastructure to support the public court programming in our section. 

  • USTA New England runs Tennis in the Parks, an introductory program for both youth and adults that meets people where they are and provides an accessible option during the outdoor playing season in partnership with local Park and Recreation departments. 

  • Wilson Sporting Goods is the program's sponsor, which has helped us achieve 16,500+ registrations since 2018. Our partnership with Wilson allows us to provide each new player in the program with a new Wilson racquet to keep. 

  • We also have a robust Adult Social League across New England that has served thousands of players on public courts since its inception in 2015. For the last three years, the program has grown by at least 20% each year. Our spring programs launch in March and can be found here.

     

• A Younger, More Diverse Generation: The data shows that youth participation is over-indexing compared to the general population. Furthermore, the sport is seeing its strongest growth within the Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino communities, both of which are over-represented relative to New England's general demographics.

   

  • USTA New England has a special focus on growing community coaches throughout the year. 42% of our Tennis in the Parks coaches are female and in 2025, we hired 119 coaches to support our program.

Deepening Engagement

It’s not just casual interest - it’s a commitment. New England now counts 0.7 million "core players" (those playing 10 or more days per year), a 34.7% year-over-year increase. These dedicated athletes now account for 54% of the total player base, driving 26.1 million play occasions across the six-state region.

“Ranking third in the nation for growth is a powerful testament to the vibrant tennis community we’re building here in New England. Surpassing the national participation average with 1.4 million players proves that when you prioritize public access and diversity, you redefine the game,” says Lindsey Keeler, Executive Director & CEO for USTA New England. “With a million more residents eager to play, our momentum is just getting started.”

The Future: A Massive "Latent Demand"

Along with these record-breaking numbers, the potential growth for tennis in New England remains high. The study identifies a massive "latent demand," estimating that 1.01 million people in the region are currently “very interested” in playing tennis. This represents a 43% increase (+307,000 people) in potential new players over the last year alone.

With record participation and a million more people waiting in the wings, the New England tennis ecosystem is poised for a transformative decade of growth. To learn more about our programs, visit www.usta.com/newengland. Our public park tennis offerings are available at www.tennisintheparks.com.

*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.