Tennis news: How the sport is growing in popularity, from club memberships to local parks

Tennis is currently experiencing a period of unprecedented worldwide growth, driven in large part by the greater availability of facilities, an increase in relatability for its newest stars thanks to social media, and a welcome change in culture.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Vanely Barumire describes her own journey to appreciating tennis and takes a look at some of the ways in which the sport is evolving.

A personal love story

Recently, I found myself talking to a sales assistant about grip size, balance, and string pattern as I was about to buy my first-ever tennis racquet.

Sport, it must be said, has always been a big part of my life.

I played football for 10 years and basketball for three, plus I am an avid runner, but – for some or other reason – tennis was never something that I considered accessible.

After all, my high school did not have a tennis team, and the court at my local park was completely worn out.

Tennis moreover felt like a sport reserved for the elites.

White skirts and club memberships – that’s how tennis was presented to me and that’s how it stuck.

However, something has changed in the last couple of years. I fell in love with tennis.

The silence before a serve, the applause after a point, and the raw emotions from the players are what make the sport irresistible.

Needless to say, I am now head over heels, and that’s how I found myself walking home holding my first tennis racquet.

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Recreational hobby for many

Tennis is a cut-throat sport.

One minute a player is the world No.1, and the next they are failing to qualify for a major tournament.

On top of that, becoming a professional tennis player requires years of dedication and not a little money.

As a result, many people take it up merely as a recreational hobby.

Or, to put it differently, grassroots is where it’s at.

According to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), 106 million people play tennis around the world, a number that has increased by over 25% in the last five years.

The ITF further reports that people in Britain are taking up tennis at a grassroots level more than in any other country.

Indeed, the sport had over 900,000 British participants last year, and soon I will proudly join them.

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More relatable than ever

For the longest time, tennis positioned itself as an exclusive sport and its athletes added to the illusion.

In the era of the Big Three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic – tennis felt like a members-only club, one frequented by select athletes and the upper class.

But now, with the rise of young tennis players such as Ben Shelton, Coco Gauff, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and more, the sport has seemingly rebranded itself.

As a younger generation of players takes centre stage, so too does social media.

And, like any other sport gaining traction in the digital age, social media is playing a major role in making stars more relatable.

Training is no longer a secret, pre-game rituals are no longer mysterious, and fans can finally get a glimpse into what their favourite player is like off the court.

This inspires fans’ to play themselves, thus adding to a burgeoning player pool.

So, while you won’t be seeing me at Wimbledon anytime soon, you can definitely catch me playing in my local park along with so many others.

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