Tennis - is the amateur game at a crossroads or in the crosshairs?

This is a constructive commentary on amateur tennis seen from a unique perspective. The author is a retired Director of Tennis with a deep passion for the sport, having played at the highest junior and collegiate levels during the “tennis boom of the 70s”, competed on the European tour, and spent over forty-four years as Director of Tennis at Platinum Clubs (facilities over 24 courts) throughout the Northeast and Florida. He is a lifetime member of the USTA and an Elite Professional of the USPTA (now RSPA).

The author continues to mentor former assistants and has developed over a hundred high school and college players. Most importantly, he has instilled a love and passion for the game in his students by making tennis entertaining and FUN.

Listed below are talking points of how we can “make amateur tennis great again” by focusing on new, bold ideas to create a better tennis culture for the future of the game:

Pro Tennis is booming – but are people playing?

Tennis is booming with viewership on the rise both online and in-person. After watching Alcaraz & Sinner in perhaps the best finals ever (French Open) in a Slam, the perception was that interest would decrease with the retirement of the Big 3. Pro tennis is booming, but is amateur tennis stagnant? How often are the current & upcoming generations playing each week, and what do they love – or dislike about tennis? Unfortunately, tennis is now seen as a real estate liability – it’s more cost-effective to build 4 pickleball courts (16 players) than to build 1 tennis court, which caters to 4 players. New resorts, hotels, and HOAs are going this route. How can we reverse this trend?

Tennis requires mastery, but that takes time

Like golf, tennis requires a learning curve before it becomes enjoyable – a level of competency is needed before it gets fun. According to Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours to master a sport. Pickleball has gained popularity due to its easy learning curve. Can we rethink our teaching philosophy to retain players and attract newcomers?

Unifying Teaching Professionals across all sectors

Tennis is taught by teaching professionals at municipalities, public & semi-private facilities, private tennis clubs and country clubs, resorts, HOA properties, tennis academy professionals, independent contractors at private courts, high school and college coaches. How can we create a more cohesive and positive message across the tennis industry?

Cheating is a modern challenge

Cheating is a modern challenge. Golf does a better job of enforcing integrity. Who will create a reliable system for junior and league play to address this issue? With rapid technological changes, can there be a cheaper but accurate system that can be employed on a court, along with PlaySight?

Inconsistent court surfaces – time for a universal standard?

Tennis is played on regular clay, red clay, hydro-clay, hard, grass, indoor, and synthetic grass. Would a standardized surface help with injury prevention and reduce opportunities for cheating?

Certification standards need to improve

The PGA ( golf) mandated clubs to hire certified professionals through a rigorous 3-7 year process. Tennis could learn from the PGA  model and USGA standards. Is it time to re-tool certification so that upcoming high school players and college summer assistants get more involved early on in making this a career with online learning programs for credit?

A broader vision but a diluted focus?

The RSPA (Racquet Sports Professional Association) represents racquet sports but only tennis, pickleball, squash, padel, and platform tennis (there are over 30 racquet sports); however, it excludes global staples like badminton and table tennis (ping pong). The RSPA has a broader vision with a diluted focus, which means less tennis attention. Tennis & Racquet Sports Professional Association would have been more appropriate.

USTA membership – Why so low?

The USTA has 700,000 members, yet 23 million supposed tennis players. Why the disconnect?  Clubs should encourage or require USTA membership.

Also, is the USTA branching into pickleball/padel? Will they be re-naming their organization? 

The “WOW” factor is missing 

The USTA aims for 35 million tennis players by 2035 with the new mission statement: “growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere.” Bottom line: without a compelling appeal, there is no ”WOW” factor. We need an independent firm to collect accurate player data. A person playing in 3 leagues is still one player, not three.

Teaching Professionals deserve recognition

The PGA (golf) honors its local pros during broadcasts – why doesn’t tennis? TV commentators should highlight the Director of Tennis at each event and share tips for club-level players. Commentators often do not relate how a club player can improve their tennis, as no one can hit the ball like the pros can. Less talk about themselves, more about the youth, teaching professionals, and grassroots efforts.

Golf Digest even has a list for the top 100 golf teaching professionals.

Who governs tennis?

How far will the Saudis move into the tennis arena? With no commissioner and four separate organizations ( ATP, WTA, ITF, Grand Slams ), tennis lacks unity.  Thinking outside the box, how about a commissioner for tennis that ranges from grassroots to high school tennis and focuses on growing the game?

Make tennis educational and FUN

USTA & the Professional organizations need to engage kids with FUN facts using tennis-based learning. Math to figure out how many tennis balls can be placed on the singles/doubles courts, geometry for the angles, physics with the forces, and strategy with chess. Make it engaging and exciting and FUN with great ads for TV. We need serious “WOW” now!!!!

Observations & Fresh Ideas:

a.  Club tournaments and League matches should be two sets; if split, play a 10-point tiebreaker for the match; otherwise, it’s too long and boring. No one has the time.

b. Club events should be short ( 3-4 hours ), social, and lively. Try “105” tournaments with music and create excitement !! Remember, teaching professionals are ENTERTAINERS.

c. Keep reminding kids of the great qualities of tennis and that competition is a good thing. Tennis is a fantastic cross-over sport that opens the door to a vast array of other sports, and this must be emphasized more. If you can play tennis, you can play any other sport !!

d. USTA should focus on high school tennis and create a Ryder Cup format with boys and girls playing together. Come up with new concepts to create an atmosphere to keep the kids engaged moving forward.

e. Kids should play more and drill less – only drill when needed.

f. Tennis is artistic and entertaining at all levels – remember it is a game and keep it FUN for all involved.

g. Can we design a better handicap system for beginners through 3.5 players to help them improve faster ?

h. Padel appeals to tennis purists but may reduce tennis play frequency. Unlike pickleball, it requires prior racquet sport experience.

i. Showcase American professionals playing fun games like “105” or “Touch the Fence” in TV ads– seeing them having fun and excited would be a huge boon for social tennis. Let’s get the top players giving back and do this for the game.

j. How much is sports betting influencing the younger generations just to watch the Slams ? How many actually play tennis?

k. The USTA should create league formats like the European club systems. Imagine aspiring professionals competing at a local club, along with the top 6 men & women from your club competing against a rival club.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Tennis stands at a pivotal moment with the rise of pickleball and padel. To grow and retain players, we must embrace bold ideas and celebrate the incredible qualities that tennis offers – discipline, athleticism, camaraderie and joy. Let’s preserve and elevate  “the great game of tennis” for generations to come and not be in the crossroads or crosshairs of any other sport.