Tennis, like its older siblings golf and bowling, is struggling to attract enough participants again. Yet it faces the daunting reality that we live in an increasingly sedentary society with many less demanding recreational options available to us.
The TIA hosted an impressive webinar series of experts from inside and outside the industry who provided valuable advice and insights that have enabled sports to flourish even during these trying times.
Professional
Tennis is one of the world’s most beloved sports, boasting an estimated global fan base estimated at more than one billion. Tennis stars rank among the highest-paid athletes in any sport; yet its fractured leadership and stagnant revenue growth has caused considerable tension within its ranks; many players struggle financially after choosing this path as their career goal.
Novak Djokovic and Ons Jabeur are among the many players who have formed a new association to try to regain their voice in tennis. Their goal is a greater share of tournament profits generated from majors tournaments, reduced event count per season, shorter matches with TV-friendly formats, as well as funding opportunities for emerging talent.
The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) kicked off 2023 in Melbourne by convening with players, coaches, agents and industry stakeholders ahead of the Australian Open. SVP of Player Engagement Wajid Mir addressed accusations that PTPA “generates division,” saying this issue has arisen within all player associations at some point in their existence.
Corey Van der Burgh, an accomplished former professional tennis player and current head coach of the University of Michigan men’s team, is gearing his squad up to compete at this year’s NCAA Tournament with plenty of important lessons awaiting their students.
Simon Colosimo was once an Australian National Soccer League and A-League star, as well as being selected 26 times to Australia’s National Women’s “Socceroos” Team. Now serving as Executive Director of PTPA’s for-profit affiliate Winners Alliance, Colosimo leads a group working toward positive changes within tennis.
Amateur
Tennis is a beloved pastime enjoyed by people of all ages, drawing large audiences both live and online for major tournaments like Wimbledon and the US Open. Alongside professional and amateur players, this industry also encompasses equipment sales as well as participation numbers through clubs, lessons and dues fees.
Though professional tennis can be an arduous journey to professional success, recreational players remain passionate about it. A recent survey revealing 12% of American amateur players willing to sacrifice marriage for a chance at competing at one of four Grand Slam tournaments may offer hope of making money through tennis; though amateurs may occasionally manage a point against professional opponents it would likely not win an entire match; Research without Barriers adheres to both Market Research Society code of conduct (2023) and ESOMAR regulations when conducting studies relating to sport.
Equipment
Equipment used in tennis includes everything from racquets to balls, shoes and other accessories. Equipment plays an integral role in helping players perform more efficiently while honing their skills. A few key players dominate the market with varied business strategies that partner with professional players to promote their products, while investing heavily in research and development to develop innovative new offerings.
Demand for tennis equipment has seen significant increases due to youth engagement in fitness activities and rising personal disposable income. Furthermore, this game is popular among people of all ages as it provides numerous health benefits like increasing aerobic activities, decreasing resting heart rate and blood pressure as well as improving metabolic function.
Technological advances have revolutionized the tennis industry. New materials have enabled racquet manufacturers to produce lighter frames with improved precision and power. Furthermore, specialized court surfaces were developed specifically for professional players featuring combinations of acrylic, silica, rubber and other materials on an asphalt or concrete base surface.
Apart from racquets, one of the most essential pieces of equipment in tennis is its net. Aiming to create an equitable experience between all participants involved, both sides should agree upon an ideal height before beginning a match; additionally it helps prevent the ball from leaving its intended path and leading to unwarranted faults in gameplay.
The global tennis equipment market can be divided into three distinct segments, distribution channel, raw material and product. Within distribution channel category lies supermarkets/hypermarkets/speciality stores/online retail. Supermarkets/hypermarkets dominate this segment due to providing customers with a wider variety of products at lower costs.
Apparel
Tennis players need special clothing designed to protect them from the elements and enable them to perform at their peak on court. Tennis apparel manufacturers produce not only traditional clothing such as shoes, socks, and hats but also items designed to improve performance like sweat-wicking clothing, sports bras and other athletic wear – plus additional items like caps, sunglasses, belts and caps that help players remain comfortable on court.
Apparel and accessories play an essential part in the tennis industry, as many tennis players use clothing to express themselves on the court. Fashion designers have even collaborated with tennis stars in designing unique clothing collections; for example, Nike released their Naomi Osaka collaboration clothing collection.
Tennis clothing manufacturers are also exploring new fabrics to increase comfort and durability of their products, for instance the development of seamless clothing which offers both comfort and ease of movement without compromising its appearance. Seamless clothing production typically uses circular machines found in China, Turkey and Italy.
One major driver of market expansion is the rise of tennis coaching academies. More academies could encourage students to participate in athletic activities, which would drive demand for tennis apparel, footwear and accessories.
Online retailing is also a key driver of the US tennis apparel, footwear, and accessory market. Customers prefer shopping online due to its convenience and increased security measures provided by e-retailers; furthermore, online retailers provide access to a diverse array of products at highly competitive prices; thus making online sales channels likely account for an increasing portion of sales in the coming years in the US market.
Media
Media coverage of tennis is an integral component of its industry. As its primary way of communicating to fans, media plays an essential role in keeping people up-to-date with what’s happening and watching events unfold. From major professional tournaments, to college tennis matches and various events that may happen off court. Magazines specializing in this sport exist, while numerous websites and blogs dedicated to it exist as well. Popular examples are Bob Larson’s Tennis Daily News which has been in publication since 1974; Bob spends all day speaking with insiders before packaging up stories for publication on his site based out of Minneapolis while traveling to tournaments such as BNP Paribas Open or US Open tournaments.
Jeff Williams opened the event by providing an overview of TIA-USTA’s strategic transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and new youth initiatives. Katrina Adams, chief executive officer of TIA USA, addressed challenges within the industry as well as growing need for community tennis programs and youth involvement programs – especially since their new “Rally the Family” initiative will work hand-in-hand with USTA to promote tennis participation and participation rates.
The TIA Tennis Innovation Challenge showcased new technologies designed to expand and grow tennis, such as AccuTennis (an interactive line-calling system); In/Out (a portable line-calling device equipped with radar technology); and Playmate iGenie (a ball machine with innovative calibration and programming). Following their presentations, SCSV hosted “Future of Tennis & Tech” sessions featuring expert speakers including Rishi Bhatnaghar from Syntelli Solutions; Julien Blin from SportsCouncil Silicon Valley; Walid Fattah (entrepreneur co-founder & CTO of Kourts); Dr Mark Kovacs who is an internationally acclaimed performance physiologist researcher author coach/author /author.