According to US trade group the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, participation in tennis in the US grew 43 per cent between 2000 and 2008.
Growth in 2008 alone was 9.6 per cent. Tennis was only one of six sports to increase participation by more than 40 per cent. Sports which suffered a decline in participation in the same period included baseball, ice hockey, gymnastics and football.
The SGMA reported that sales of youth tennis racquets increased 88 per cent between 2003 and 2008, with sales of adult racquets increasing 30 per cent.
In December, research agency the Taylor Research Group reported that tennis participation in the US reached a 15-year record high of 27 million players in 2008.
