2024 in review: Grassroots tennis thrives, from local courts to the sport’s biggest stage
As 2024 comes to a close, USTA.com is recapping the biggest stories of the year in American tennis. Today, we're looking back on an amazing year of grassroots tennis, from community-focused clinics to the sport’s stars making an impact, as the USTA strives to fulfill its mission to “grow tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere.”
Thousands of players participated in National Tennis Month events
May was an amazing month to be a tennis player, as this year’s National Tennis Month brought lifelong players back onto the court while welcoming beginners to try the world’s healthiest sport. More than 4,800 thousand people registered to participate in over 500 official National Tennis Month events and programs across the country. In addition, more than 50 cities and states issued official proclamations declaring May as National Tennis Month.
One of the month’s highlights was Hit to be Fit Day on May 19, a dynamic day of activities that allowed newcomers and skilled competitors the opportunity to improve their skills and enjoy each other’s company. Over 200 sites across the United States hosted Hit to be Fit Day events, with attendance averaging about 24 players per event. The flagship event at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla., welcomed 105 attendees.
Tennis players also came together to improve their communities throughout the month. The Bossier Tennis Center in Bossier City, La., played host to the ninth annual Katy Build Tennis Tournament. More than 400 people of all ages took part in the tournament, which serves as a fundraiser to build homes for veterans in memory of three high school friends who lost their lives in an automobile accident on their way to a high school football game in 2006. Since the first tournament in 2015, the event has raised over $300,000 to help provide housing in the community.
People smile at the Hit to be Fit Cardio tennis Clinic at the USTA National Campus. Photo by Julio Aguilar/USTA.
"To put it simply, National Tennis Month was a fantastic success,” said Elliott Pettit, USTA Senior Director, Retention & Brand, Strategy & Innovation Administration. “It's never a bad time to celebrate the world's healthiest sport and National Tennis Month is such a great way to bring people together to get connected and engaged with all tennis has to offer. We are already looking forward to next May."
Luke and Murphy Jensen pose with players during a coin toss before a Para Standing Invitational match at the 2024 US Open. Photo by Dave Dellinger/USTA.
Adaptive athletes shine on national and international stages
In 2024, adaptive tennis got its moment in the spotlight, with events and activations taking place all over the country.
There are currently 500 adaptive tennis programs registered with the USTA around the country cater to people with disabilities, a population that, historically, has had their health and wellness needs overlooked, by providing them an outlet to pick up a racquet, get on the court, build community and improve their overall health.
The 2024 Adaptive Tennis National Championships was a smashing success, with 25 unified doubles teams—pairs comprised of an adaptive athlete and a unified partner, or a person without an intellectual or developmental disability—from 10 USTA sections competing for trophies, and to showcase the rapidly-expanding adaptive tennis community.
Adaptive athletes also got to shine on the international stage, with four Americans playing in the Para-Standing World Championships in Turin, Italy. More than 70 athletes competed in the first para-standing tennis event to be sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation, the world governing body of tennis. One American, Michigan’s Daniel Scrivano, brought home some hardware after he claimed the title in the PST 3-4 class.
The biggest stage in tennis also offered a platform for adaptive athletes and education about adaptive tennis, with multiple events taking place at the 2024 US Open. During Fan Week, some fans got a taste of blind and visually-impaired (BVI) tennis during the “Come and Try BVI” event at the American Express Fan Experience. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day played host to an All Abilities Court where all children, but especially those with disabilities, could receive one-on-one instruction from volunteers with expertise in wheelchair and adaptive tennis. The US Open also held its first para-standing invitational, with eight para-standing athletes playing on the same courts as the world’s top tennis players, increasing the sport’s visibility.
Over $2.6 million awarded to build and refurbish tennis courts across the country
2024 was a banner year for facilities as the USTA poured resources and energy into making tennis accessible and enjoyable for all by upgrading courts and complexes all over the country.
The Tennis Venue Services team awarded grants totaling more than $1.7 million to over 65 projects, impacting over 490 courts and a total cost of projects over $41M, including a reimagined racquet sports complex in Denton, Texas, and the renovation of a legendary tennis destination in Hilton Head, S.C.
The inaugural US Open Legacy Initiative, announced after Coco Gauff’s win at the 2023 US Open, got off to a great start. The USTA pledged $3 million—matching Gauff’s prize money—to reinvigorate courts at parks, schools, and other public facilities in the champion’s honor.
Coco Gauff and USTA executives at the dedication of the courts at Pompey Park. Photo by Manuela Davies/USTA.
Gauff selected Pompey Park in her hometown of Delray Beach, Fla., as a recipient of the grant—particularly fitting, as she spent hours on those courts growing up—and attended the unveiling of the US Open Legacy Initiative’s first completed project. Nearly $60,000 worth of funding went toward resurfacing the park’s two courts and installing new fence fabric, windscreens, shade structures and benches, the first major project completed as part of the initiative. As of the end of October, 37 projects received more than $973,030 in funding, impacting 242 courts.
Additionally, the USTA joined forces with the National Parks and Recreation Association (NRPA), forming a new partnership to support happier, healthier communities across the United States. The collaboration celebrates the ability of parks and recreation and the game of tennis to foster active, healthy communities nationwide and promotes inclusive access to recreational opportunities.
Stan Smith visits the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Los Angeles.
USTA Foundation celebrates 30 years of providing opportunities and education
The USTA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the USTA, has been changing lives for 30 years. The USTA Foundation's flagship National Junior Tennis and Learning Network, made up of more than 250 sports-based youth development organizations across the United States, provides more than 150,000 under-resourced youth annually with health and wellness opportunities, academic services, and other educational support.
In 2024, the USTA Foundation provided $972,841 to fund 88 courts that will support tennis programming at 13 sites in 11 cities, increasing access for 4,300 young people. The Opening Night Gala at the 2024 US Open raised $2.2 million to support the organization and the under-resourced youth it serves.
NJTL participants also had amazing opportunities to connect with the sport’s biggest stars and advocates throughout the year. International Tennis Hall of Famer—and cultural icon—Stan Smith surprised the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Los Angeles while he was in L.A. for the premiere of the "Who Is Stan Smith?” documentary; American athletes held a clinic with nearly 50 NJTL participants ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.; Coco Gauff and Billie Jean King hit with kids from New York-based NJTL chapters at the US Open; and Frances Tiafoe put on a clinic ahead of the ATP event in Houston, and awarded six deserving students a total of $40,000 to support their tennis and academic development.
"Seeing these kids, how excited they are, I just hope that it gives them hope that a guy who went through the same pathway they did was able to do something special,” Tiafoe said. “Obviously, it's not about everybody trying to be the next Frances Tiafoe, but going to college ... branching out into so many different avenues, it's so meaningful."
The power of tennis was on display for more than 1 million fans at the US Open
As always, the year’s final major delighted fans with the world’s top tennis players and exhilarating matches. However, what made the 2024 US Open particularly special was the theme: “Celebrating the power of tennis.”
It was a powerful message, and one that welcomed new players into the sport while reminding seasoned athletes why they love it. From the theme art adorning the grounds to tennis legend Billie Jean King and 2023 women’s champion Coco Gauff rallying with NJTL youth, it was clear that the US Open engages fans and inspires them to pick up a racquet and enjoy the sport’s numerous benefits.
The diversity of fans and athletes was also on display, with celebrations of the HBCU, AAPI and LGBTQ+ communities taking place over the course of three weeks. Other activations ensured that all who entered the gates of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center knew that tennis is for everyone, regardless of ability, from the Play Tennis Zone for all ages and skill levels, to an ACEing Autism clinic, an All-Abilities Court on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day and a para-standing invitational.
A fan plays in the Play Tennis Zone at the 2024 US Open. Photo by Brad Penner/USTA.
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