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New ‘Tennis Health Index’ Shows 10.8% Growth

Consisting of six industry measures, index shows steady increase in tennis since 2003

The Tennis Health Index, a new measure of the health of tennis that consists of six key elements, shows that the sport has increased 10.8 percent in the U.S. over the last five years.

Published by the TIA and USTA, the Tennis Health Index includes four tennis participation surveys that use different methodologies, along with measures of tennis ball shipments and court activity. The six elements collectively provide a more accurate view of the state of tennis participation in the U.S., says Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis.

“This is the first year we’ve used this composite index to measure the health of tennis in the U.S., and we’re happy to see continued growth in the sport,” says Kamperman. “This shows that our tennis programs and initiatives are working.”

Each of the six measures in the Tennis Health Index is weighted and trended. The baseline year is 2003, which has an index of 100. From 2003 through 2007, the Tennis Health Index shows steady growth up to 110.8.

“This is excellent news for the tennis industry,” says TIA President Dave Haggerty. “It shows that our sport is healthy, vibrant and growing.”

Since 1999, the USTA and TIA have carried out a major national Tennis Participation Survey to determine the number of tennis players in the U.S. “While that study remains an important measure of the health of the sport, the Tennis Health Index was developed in 2007 so as not to be overly reliant on a single measure,” says Jolyn de Boer, the TIA’s executive director.

The six measures that make up the Tennis Health Index are:

• USTA/TIA Tennis Participation Phone Survey, which shows that total tennis participation in 2007 exceeded 25 million, the highest since 1999.
• National Sporting Goods Association Mail Panel, which indicates that tennis has grown 28 percent since 2003.
• American Sports Data Mail Survey, which shows a 2 percent increase in tennis since 2003.
• Sports Participation Partnership Survey, which shows tennis has increased 16 percent from 2006 to 2007, with the total number of players reaching 16.9 million.
• TIA Ball Shipment Tracker, which shows a 15 percent increase in tennis ball shipments since 2003.
• TIA and USTA Court Activity Monitor, which reports a total of 137 million court-hours were booked and/or used in 2007.

Posted on September 1, 2008
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