The ITF estimated that just under 106 million people played tennis at least once in 2024 across 199 countries. The USTA separately estimated that 27.3 million people aged six or older played in the United States in 2025. These are the latest official headline figures, but they come from different years and methods.
- Global player
- A person estimated by a national association to have played at least once during the year.
- US participant
- A person aged six or older who played tennis at least once during 2025.
- Core US player
- A US participant who played ten or more times during the year.
- Estimate
- A survey or association-derived value, not a complete census of every player.
Key tennis participation statistics
Worldwide
Just under 106 million players in the ITF 2024 snapshot, up 25.6% from 84.4 million in 2019.
United States
US players aged six or older in 2025, up 1.6 million from 2024.
Core US players
Players with at least ten sessions in 2025, representing 53% of US participants.
Courts worldwide
The ITF's 2024 court estimate. More than nine in ten were outdoor courts.
How many people play tennis worldwide?
The third ITF Global Tennis Report estimated just under 106 million annual players across 199 countries. That was 25.6% above the 84.4 million estimate in the 2019 edition. The report combines national-association submissions with independent government and commercial inputs. It remains an estimate rather than a player-by-player register.
| Measure | 2024 value | Definition or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Players worldwide | Just under 106 million | Played at least once during the year across 199 countries |
| Growth since 2019 | 25.6% | Compared with 84.4 million in the 2019 report |
| Asia | 35.3 million | 33.4% of the global estimate |
| United States | 23.8 million | ITF estimate for 2024; not the later USTA 2025 survey |
| Women and girls | 40.3% | Share of estimated players; absolute participation rose 8.3% from 2019 |
| Courts | 698,034 | 91.2% outdoor; 55.3% hard and 25.7% clay |
The ITF also reported that Great Britain had the highest participation share at 13.4% of its population, followed by Canada at 12.8%. These ratios depend on the report's national estimates and should not be compared with club-membership counts.
How many Americans play tennis?
The USTA estimated 27.3 million US participants in 2025. The national survey covers people aged six or older and reported a 95% confidence interval of plus or minus 620,000. The estimate rose by 1.6 million, or about 6%, from 2024 and by 54% from 2019.
| Measure | 2025 value | Change or definition |
|---|---|---|
| Total participants | 27.3 million | Age six or older; +1.6 million from 2024 |
| Core players | 14.5 million | Ten or more sessions; 53% of participants |
| Play occasions | 616 million | Up 7% from 2024 |
| First-time players | 4.9 million | Up 9% from 2024 |
| Retained players | 20.7 million | Played in both 2024 and 2025 |
| Women joining the total | +1.1 million | 10% increase from 2024 |
Why are there two US totals? The ITF estimated 23.8 million US players for its 2024 global snapshot. The USTA estimated 27.3 million for 2025 through its own survey. Different years and methods explain why the figures should be cited separately.
What do European federation numbers measure?
European federations often report licensed members rather than everyone who plays. Germany's DTB reported 1,553,580 members, 8,612 clubs and 44,645 courts in its current 2026 facts. France reported more than 1.2 million licences in 2025, but its total includes padel, beach tennis and other racket categories. Italy's 1,151,769 registered participants in 2024 also combined tennis and padel.
These figures are useful for the size of organised systems. They are not directly comparable with the ITF participation estimate or Britain's annual-player survey. A defensible Europe table must name the metric before the number.
| Body | Figure | What it measures | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany, DTB | 1,553,580 | Federation members | 2026 |
| France, FFT | More than 1.2 million | Multi-racket licences, not tennis-only participation | 2025 |
| Italy, FITP | 1,151,769 | Registered tennis and padel participants | 2024 |
| Great Britain, LTA | 5.8 million | Adults who played tennis during the year | Summer 2025 |
What do the statistics say about growth?
Two long comparisons point upward. The ITF global estimate rose 25.6% from 2019 to 2024. The USTA estimate rose 54% from 2019 to 2025. Neither series proves why participation changed, and their definitions differ.
The US detail shows both retention and entry. The report counted 20.7 million retained participants, 4.9 million first-time players and 1.7 million returning players. Core participation and total play occasions also rose. That is stronger evidence than a headline total alone because it shows how often people played.
For planning, the most important distinction is between occasional participation, regular play and organised membership. Clubs need local court demand. Coaches need level and frequency. Federations may need licensing and competition data. One number cannot answer all three questions.
Does tennis increase life expectancy?
In the Copenhagen City Heart Study, tennis participation was associated with 9.7 years higher adjusted life expectancy than sedentary participation. The analysis followed 8,577 adults and was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2018.
This was an observational association. The study did not randomly assign sports and did not establish that tennis caused the difference. Social, health and lifestyle factors may contribute to the result.
Method and limitations
Stakhovsky Tennis checked seven official or peer-reviewed sources on 27 August 2026. Stakhovsky Tennis extracted each value with its period, geography, population and source. Stakhovsky Tennis keeps the 2024 ITF estimate separate from the 2025 USTA survey because their methods differ.
- Global values are estimates built from association and external inputs, not a census.
- The USTA survey covers people aged six or older and carries sampling uncertainty.
- Membership, licences, annual participation and core participation are different measures.
- Source revisions can change current figures. The page records the edition used.
- Original Stakhovsky Tennis analysis and annotations are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Third-party data remains under its source terms.
Download the participation source extract
The files contain the selected metric, value, unit, population definition, geography, period, source organisation, source URL and comparability note. They are an editorial extract, not a replacement for the source publications.
Frequently asked questions
How many people play tennis worldwide?
The ITF estimated that just under 106 million people played tennis at least once in 2024 across 199 countries. The figure rose 25.6% from the 84.4 million estimate published in 2019.
How many people play tennis in the United States?
The USTA estimated that 27.3 million people aged six or older played tennis in the United States in 2025. The estimate was 1.6 million higher than in 2024 and carried a 95% confidence interval of plus or minus 620,000.
Is tennis participation growing?
The ITF global estimate rose 25.6% between its 2019 and 2024 reports. The USTA estimate rose 54% between 2019 and 2025. The sources use different populations and methods, so their totals should not be combined.
Which country has the most tennis players?
The ITF's 2024 report placed the United States first with an estimated 23.8 million players. The USTA later estimated 27.3 million US players for 2025 using a different survey and year.
How many tennis courts are there worldwide?
The ITF reported 698,034 tennis courts worldwide in 2024. It classified 91.2% as outdoor, 55.3% as hard courts and 25.7% as clay courts.
How many regular tennis players are there in the United States?
The USTA counted 14.5 million core US players in 2025. Core players were defined as people aged six or older who played at least ten times during the year.
Does tennis increase life expectancy?
An observational study of 8,577 adults associated tennis participation with 9.7 years higher adjusted life expectancy than sedentary participation. The study did not establish that tennis caused the difference.
Sources and citation
- ITF Global Tennis Report 2024 summary
- USTA 2026 US Tennis Participation Report
- German Tennis Federation current facts
- French Tennis Federation 2025 licence update
- Italian Tennis and Padel Federation 2024 report
- LTA 2025 participation update
- Copenhagen City Heart Study abstract