Tennis inspires 45% of players to prioritise health research reveals

Nearly half of tennis players in nations where the sport is most popular cite health benefits as their main reason for playing, research conducted by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in collaboration with YouGov and Two Circles has revealed.

The research, covering the USA, China, India, Brazil and Argentina (representing an estimated 62% of global tennis players according to the ITF Global Tennis Report 2021), focused on players and potential players aged 18 and older, highlighting the role of tennis in enhancing physical and mental wellbeing.

The study found that 45% of respondents cited health as their main purpose for playing, with 40% of players also inspired by the social benefits of the sport such as building friendships, participating in community activities, and enjoying the camaraderie that tennis fosters.

More than three in four casual players (those playing less than 10 times annually) said they would like to play more – and this increases in men aged 35-44 and women aged 25-34.

‘Finding players of a similar level’ is also a key driver for current players of all frequencies to play more often, according to the research. The ITF World Tennis Number provides a global standard to help players do just that and is currently used by over 1.9 million players throughout 80+ regional and national associations. It is a 40-1 scale, with 40 being a beginner player and 1 being an elite professional. This scale is for all players, regardless of age, gender, or ability.

Today’s research also reveals beginner players aged 35 - 44 are increasingly drawn to tennis for its health benefits, underlining the sports appeal to those seeking to improve their wellbeing through physical activity. This trend is mirrored in intermediate and advanced players, half of whom chose health-related reasons as their primary motivation to play.

Previous research by the Copenhagen City Heart Study has found that tennis players have a 47% reduction in overall mortality risk, and a 59% reduction in cardiovascular mortality.

Today’s findings serve as a precursor to the upcoming 2024 ITF Global Tennis Report, the largest survey of worldwide tennis participation and performance undertaken in the sport, that is set to be released on 9 October ahead of the global governing body’s AGM taking place in Hong Kong from 10 – 11 October this year. The report, published in every Olympic year, provides a detailed analysis of the global tennis landscape, including statistics and trends in participation and high performance, in alignment with the ITF’s development strategy and key principle of being data driven. This year’s AGM will also play host to the annual ITF World Participation Conference. This year’s theme is ‘Tennis, the sport for life’.

Read the last ITF Global Tennis report, published in 2021 following the delayed Tokyo Olympics, at ITFTennis.com.

David Haggerty, ITF President, said: “Tennis is one of the world’s healthiest sports and these findings, gathered from five of the biggest tennis playing nations, provide further evidence of the health benefits of tennis. The ITF Global Tennis Report 2024 will provide a comprehensive summary of the growth of our sport across the world. We expect to provide statistics and trends that demonstrate continued growth since the last report in 2021 and point towards a bright future for tennis around the world.”