USTA Coaching: Should we believe the PR?

Hello, dear readers, friends, and racquet sports enthusiasts.

I hope your December was good and you had a chance to relax during the Holidays. I decided to visit family in Germany and write this in a hotel room in Berlin. Hotel Meliá in Berlin Mitte is very nice, not too expensive, and I can highly recommend it. If you stay here, you’ll love their Tapas Bar!

RacquetXclubs City Series

FINAL STOP - CITY SERIES ORLANDO
Location: Winter Park Racquet Club
Date: January 22, 2026
Click Here for Full Agenda

“Battle of the Sexes?”

Did anyone really think Sabalenka had a chance against Kyrgios? ‘Nuff said.

Steve Simon

Great Spots Business Journal article about retired WTA Chair Steve Simon: Outgoing WTA Chairman Steve Simon spent a lifetime growing the game of tennis

Smash Tennis

Smash Tennis Debuts High-Velocity Format: Pilot Event Delivers 27 Matches in 90 Minutes, Proving New Model for Court Utilization

Interesting new format introduced by Smash Tennis Founder & CEO, Steve Chiu.

Read the full Smash Tennis press release below. For questions, call IPTL CMO Todd Stofka at 215-696-1267.

1,713: USA Pickleball Has Been Busy

In 2024, USA Pickleball, the governing body of amateur play in the U.S., reportedly tested 1,713 new paddle and ball models — a number that certainly increased significantly during the course of 2025.

Go, Take On the New Year!

I do hope you find value in the January 2026 issue of Racket Business. Our aim is to provide you with insights and strategies that will contribute to the growth and success of your business in the ultra-competitive racquet sports industry. At the same time, I’m offering a different perspective on many of the decisions coming down from the USTA executive offices in Orlando. My motto: USTA - the gift that keeps on giving for every honest reporter with an inquiring mind!

Wishing you and your families a very Happy New Year, much love and peace, many fortunes, and foremost, health.

Rich Neher
Co-Publisher

Table of Contents

• RacquetX Club Summit Preview

• Updates

  • Transgender, USTA competing with clubs/pros, TACP, …

• Things that make me go hmmm…

  • Has Tennis Magazine Lost Its Editorial Focus?

  • USTA Southern California: Masters in Deception

  • San Diego Open: An “Unforgettable” Tennis Experien …

  • USTA Coaching: Should we believe the PR?

  • USTA to hire Craig Tiley? Really?

  • Another set of USTA-generated bogus numbers?

• HEAD - Get Ready for Speed: The fastest path to vi …

• Shout-Outs

The Club Summit at RacquetX 2026 will take place at our flagship event in Fort Lauderdale, where owners, operators, and directors step out of the day-to-day and into the strategy room. And this year, we’re elevating it again, with two major reveals:

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Their presence turns RacquetX into:

• The largest gathering of club decision-makers in the industry

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If you want to be in the room where the future of Racquet Sports is being shaped, this is it.

Re: USTA and Transgender Players

In my view, the USTA’s decision to bar transgender athletes from women’s tennis is a positive and necessary step. Reversing the policies and decisions associated with Brian Hainline’s tenure was the right course of action. However, it seems unlikely this change would have occurred without pressure from the USOPC. The USTA Board still appears highly motivated by optics—particularly the desire to be seen as a leader among national governing bodies on the most progressive social issues.

Several media outlets questioned why the USTA implemented such a significant policy reversal without a formal public announcement. One plausible explanation is that the organization sought to avoid alienating segments of its most progressive supporters by drawing attention to the change.

I have also seen articles characterizing the USTA’s decision as “controversial.” In my view, the real controversy lies not in the policy itself, but in the prior allowance of biological males competing in women’s divisions and the broader implications such policies have for fairness, safety, and the protection of female and youth spaces.

I also commend the State of Texas for initiating legal action against the USTA Texas Section after it failed to substantiate claims that female tennis players face no competitive disadvantage when playing against male athletes, nor any concerns regarding shared bathroom facilities. Instead, the section chose to pursue litigation against Attorney General Ken Paxton. I am not aware of the current status or outcome of that case. If any readers have additional information and are willing to share it—either on or off the record—I would welcome the insight. Email me.

Related article from The Guardian
Aryna Sabalenka says ‘not fair on women to face basically biological men’ in tennis

Re: USTA Competing with Clubs and Pros Threatens the Livelihood of Private Businesses

CBS 12 News reported on December 3: West Palm Beach residents push back against USTA takeover of public tennis centers.

STET News Palm Beach County reported on December 18: Final set? West Palm dumps tennis pro over public comments.

Re: Tennis Anti-Corruption Program

French tennis player suspended for 20 years
Quentin Folliot found to have breached the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program 27 times

Re: USTA suing NYC over proposed casino license nearby

The matter appears to have been resolved amicably after a judge determined that the so-called Superiority Clause takes precedence over all other considerations. The issue is explained clearly and in detail in an article published by The Grandstand.

Superiority Clause: Charting the USTA’s Legal Battle Over Queens Parking Lots 

Re: RecycleBalls - BRAVO!

Things that make me go hmmm…
Has Tennis Magazine Lost Its Editorial Focus?

Is it just me, or has Tennis magazine drifted from its traditional role as a leading source of tennis journalism? In recent issues, the publication has devoted attention to stories that appear to have limited sporting relevance. For example, the decision to frame an ATP No. 307 player’s personal announcement of coming out as gay as a newsworthy feature raises questions about editorial priorities.

At a time when the sport offers no shortage of compelling competitive, developmental, and business-related stories, one has to wonder whether such coverage reflects a lack of substantive content rather than genuine news value.

Comments? Email me.

Things that make me go hmmm…
USTA Southern California: Masters in Deception

At first glance, the email appeared innocuous, bearing the subject line “Your 2025 League Wrapped Is Here!” Upon closer review, however, I concluded that the only element not intended to mislead the reader was the recognition of my friend Garen Amirganian for receiving the most sportsmanship nominations at sectionals. That distinction comes as no surprise. Congratulations, Garen.

The email highlighted 65,000 adult league registrations this year—an increase of 5,000 over 2024. On the surface, that appears encouraging. However, such figures warrant closer examination. As has often been the case, any statistics published by the USTA or its sections deserve careful scrutiny, given the organization’s longstanding and problematic relationship with data accuracy (see my December article, “USTA: Estranged Relationship With Numbers”).

What the email failed to mention is that unique registrations, meaning the number of league participants, have gone down 6.3% from 17,400 in 2024 to 16,300 in 2025.

With that in mind, some of the other numbers in the email make more sense, such as:

• Most matches played (99 women’s matches by Debbie Fitzgerald)

• Most teams captained (20 by Nisha Anish)

Debbie Fitzgerald likely competed on ten or more teams—an outcome that often occurs when registration totals increase despite declining overall participation. I suspect similar patterns can be found in many other sections as well.

One of two conclusions can be drawn from this situation: either the widely published figures claiming tennis participation of approximately 26 million players are wildly inaccurate, or the majority of new players entering the sport last year have little interest in participating in USTA Adult Leagues. In reality, the explanation is likely a combination of both.

Given USTA SoCal’s history—most notably its decision to publicly celebrate the removal of 16 high-quality tennis courts, leaving thousands of players without access to facilities, and doing so without providing any meaningful explanation at all or apology to the affected community—the arrogance is business as usual and the appearance of misleading communications such as the current email is, unfortunately, not surprising. I have raised these concerns repeatedly over the past five years, and I will state it again: clear warning signs continue to emerge for what was once an exemplary USTA section.

Comments? Email me.

Things that make me go hmmm…
San Diego Open: An “Unforgettable Tennis Experience?” (smile)

Am I seeing this right? The San Diego Open, a formerly WTA 500 event that played at the Barnes Tennis Center, was sold to Mérida, Mexico where it’s now the Mérida Open. In its place, Barnes features an ATP 100 men’s event and an ITF W15 women’s event. It’s hard to get this all figured out, and I don’t know why that is.

When the tournament sent out an email, I read with amusement that they are talking about an “unforgettable tennis experience.” The prices are certainly unforgettable, haha. $170 for a Groundspass. Reserved seating $260 for all sessions (kids pay full price).

Comments? Email me.

Things that make me go hmmm…
USTA Coaching: Should we believe the PR?

The numbers may not lie—but when it comes to the USTA, they certainly deserve careful verification.

In the past, we have been able to demonstrate that USTA-published participation figures are unreliable for several reasons:

– Tennis ball sales do not corroborate the reported participation growth.
– The number of USTA adult league players has declined in Southern California and likely shows similar trends in other sections.
– The USTA has a long-standing practice of conflating total participation with the number of unique players, which inflates headline figures.
– Aspirational initiatives such as “35×35” appear designed to divert attention from underlying realities, including declining participation and the loss of an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 tennis courts nationwide.
– More pragmatic observers acknowledge that tennis has, to a significant extent, lost its competitive battle with pickleball.
– Claims that tennis participation has grown to 26 million players while pickleball simultaneously reports more than 20 million participants are highly implausible and, at a minimum, difficult to reconcile. Taken together, these figures strain credibility and may reflect overlapping counts, inconsistent methodologies, or inflated reporting rather than distinct, additive player populations.

I would also argue that the appointment of Craig Morris to lead USTA Coaching does little to enhance the credibility of the organization’s public statements or announcements.

Comments? Email me.

Things that make me go hmmm…
USTA to hire Craig Tiley? Really?

I have to seriously question the judgment of the USTA Board in reportedly considering Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley for the role of USTA Chief Executive Officer. Have board members fully reviewed the extensive and well-documented controversies surrounding his tenure in Australia? Are they aware of the persistent allegations of mismanagement that have prompted repeated calls for his resignation? (Read Javier Palenque’s article CODE VIOLATION? TENNIS AUSTRALIA UNDER FIRE FROM OUSTED OFFICIALS, WHY IS THIS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN?)

And have they considered the optics and financial implications of recruiting an executive who is already earning approximately $2.35 million annually and would likely expect an even higher compensation package in the U.S.?

To outside observers, it appears that the primary reason Mr. Tiley is being considered is his track record in transforming the Australian Open into a highly successful marquee event. That assessment, however, suggests that the Board’s priorities may be more aligned with sponsors and premium hospitality revenue than with the broader goal of growing the sport itself. Let me be clear: expanding the US Open is not the same as growing tennis in the United States.

Comments? Email me.

Things that make me go hmmm…
Another set of USTA-generated bogus numbers?

I recognize that Project Play likely lacks the resources and staffing to independently verify the participation data submitted by every national governing body before publishing it. That said, a review of the table above raises legitimate questions about the credibility of the figures. Readers are asked to accept that tennis experienced extraordinary growth between 2014 and 2024, while nearly every other major sport—aside from golf and flag football—saw declining participation. That claim strains plausibility.

These numbers continue to be presented despite well-documented evidence that a majority of adult beginners in tennis discontinue the sport within their first year. In that context, the scale and consistency of the reported growth deserve far more scrutiny than they appear to receive.

Comments? Email me.

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