Hardcore Growth: Florida Sets the Pace for America's Tennis Boom
Nov 14, 2026
One number captures Florida's tennis obsession: 83.8 million.
That's the estimated number of times Floridians played tennis in 2025. Roughly 230,000 playing occasions every day, on average, according to USTA Florida's newly released 2026 State of Florida Tennis Report.
Unveiled Saturday at the USTA Florida Tennis Summit in Orlando, the report reveals a player population that has grown from approximately 1.2 million in 2019 to 1.95 million in 2025, an increase of more than 50% in six years.
Above: USTA Florida Executive Director Laura Bowen and Business Intelligence Manager Brad West revealed the 2026 State of Florida Tennis Report live on stage at the 2026 Florida Tennis Summit in Orlando. Photos courtesy of USTA Florida
No wonder Florida players spent a staggering $583 million in 2025 on coaching, equipment, memberships, court fees and events.
Florida's hot for tennis and shows no signs of cooling.
A look back at USTA's national participation research, released earlier this year, identifies approximately 1.12 million Floridians as "core" tennis players—people who play at least 10 times annually.
These are real players and they represent nearly six out of every 10 tennis participants in the state, a larger share than the national average.
Above: Florida HBCU player Genesis Whitelock. Photo courtesy of USTA Florida via FAMU Athletics
And these "core" player numbers grew by an estimated 250,000 in 2025 — more than any other USTA section in the country, according to the USTA's section-by-section comparison.
And Florida's next wave of tennis players could be nearly as large as the one already on court.
An estimated 1.83 million Floridians who don't currently play tennis want to start, a prospective audience nearly as large as the existing player population. Among children, approximately 391,000 want to play, exceeding the 373,000 already participating.
That enthusiasm creates an increasingly urgent question of access. Florida has 18,293 tennis courts on record, but just 21% are publicly accessible. Those public courts already host 43% of sanctioned tournament participants.
USTA Florida is calling for at least 800 new or fully rehabilitated public courts over the next decade. With millions already playing and nearly as many eager to join them, there's a compelling case for making room.
Written by Florida Tennis Editor Matt Pressman. Sources: USTA Florida — 2026 State of Florida Tennis Report; USTA 2026 National Tennis Participation Research. Photo credit (top): Sebastian Angarita via Pexels.
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