Recent racquet sports stats showcase the growing popularity in tennis and pickleball, in line with clubs reporting increases in revenue and engagement for these programs.
Considering the tumultuous last two years the fitness industry has faced, many club operators are striving for silver linings, identifying those programs and offerings that are driving revenue and engagement.
For those operators with tennis and pickleball, these offerings are proving to be a saving grace. According to recent Club Solutions Mastermind Group meetings, clubs with racquet sports are reporting spending and enrollment are up in recent months.
This isn’t surprising when you consider the growing interest in racquet sports, such as pickleball. According to the Sport and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), pickleball participation grew by 21.3% in 2020 alone.
Tennis has also seen a significant increase in interest. According to the Physical Activity Council’s Participation (PAC) report by Sports Marketing Surveys, tennis participation increased by 22% in 2020 in the U.S.
Following are more racquet sports stats that showcase why these offerings could be a wise investment for those facilities that can offer them:
Racquet Sports Stats
According to the United States Tennis Association, “Of the 21.64 million Americans who say they played tennis last year, 6.78 million were new and returning players. Nearly 3 million of these were new players (2.96 million), a 44% increase over new players in 2019.”
According to the Tennis Industry Association, “racquet sales in the entry-level category have seen significant year-on-year growth of nearly 40%.”
According to USA Pickleball, “The Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) for all players from 2017 to 2020 was 10.5%, for a total growth rate of 34% over three years. 61% of participants are men and 39% are women.”
According to the 2021 Global Tennis Racquet Market report, “The global tennis racquet market was valued at US $307.33 million in 2020 and is projected to reach US $355.83 million by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.1% from 2021 to 2028.”
Tennis at The Houstonian Club. 
Kids get a tennis lesson at The Houstonian Club.
Interested in learning from other operators and sharing best practices? Gain your own personal group of senior advisors by joining a Club Solutions Mastermind Group. Email Bob Surface at bob@peakemedia.com for additional details.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
Great article Rachel but we wish that POP Tennis & Platform Tennis were mentioned since annual growth in that category was 31.2% per the same research surveys you used for Tennis and Pickle. Yes, Pickleball is growing a lot but there are a small handful of other Paddle/Racquet sports growing a lot as well.