Stunning LTA numbers confirm tennis participation is booming in Britain

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LTA SERVES taking tennis to a new audience in Britain

New figures from the LTA have revealed that there has been a 47 per-cent increase in tennis participation in clubs and parks across Britain over the course of the last year.

The LTA, the governing body for British tennis, has announced participation figures for 2022 – which highlights sustained success in getting more people playing tennis, more often.

There has been growth across all demographics, regions and nations of Great Britain, particularly amongst 16-34 year-olds and those from lower socio economic backgrounds.

The number of adults reporting that they had played tennis during the year increased 43% compared to the previous year, rising from 3.3 million to 4.7 million from January through to December. This is the highest total recorded since 2017 and has continued the growth seen in 2018-19 which was interrupted during the pandemic.

In addition, more than two million adults play monthly, and this is the highest level recorded since the LTA started tracking this measure seven years ago.

This means that the LTA has achieved the targets set out in its five-year 2018-23 strategy for adult annual and monthly participation one year ahead of schedule.

Finally, children’s weekly participation in tennis has seen positive growth in the past year with over three and a half million children playing tennis with an extra 328,000 children playing tennis in schools.

“We are delighted with these figures and the fact that more and more people are choosing tennis,” said LTA Chief Executive, Scott Lloyd.

“At the LTA our vision is tennis opened up, and we’ve worked hard to put solid foundations in place to make tennis more accessible. We have a fantastic network of coaches, volunteers, clubs and park courts – and we’re investing in all of these to make it as easy as possible for people to get involved.

“We’re also committed to making our sport more inclusive and ensuring it appeals to a wider demographic through specially tailored initiatives like LTA Youth, She Rallies, LTA SERVES and LTA Open Court.

“We’ve also got some brilliant players at the top of the game who are flying the flag for British tennis internationally and providing inspiration to fans and the next generation alike. I’d like to thank everyone involved in British tennis for playing their part in growing the game.”

The LTA suggest the growth in participation is down to a concerted effort to make tennis more accessible and welcoming.

There has been LTA investment in court and coach booking systems that make it easier for people to find opportunities to play that are local to them.

Investment has also gone into supporting clubs to grow and retain membership, increase participation and be financially sustainable, including encouraging them to open their doors to the local community in order to maximise court usage.

The LTA have provided £14.3m in grants and loans, invested in new facilities across Britain during the last five years – such as new courts, floodlights, air-bubbles and indoor centres.

For children, the national governing body in Britain has rolled out the LTA Youth programme across, clubs, venues and schools, changing the face of how the game is introduced to young people.

The success of British players like Emma Raducanu, Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie has undoubtedly enhanced the popularity of the sport in Britain and along with the support of the LTA, it seems their impact is not being felt on local courts around the country.

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