How popular is tennis in Europe and worldwide? Insights from the new ITF report

Posted on 8 December 202412 December 2024by Pavel Petko

Tennis doubles match on a grass court, highlighting the sport's global popularity

Exploring the popularity of grassroots tennis in European countries and worldwide based on the Global Tennis Report 2024 from the International Tennis Federation.

Tennis is one of the most popular sports in Europe, only behind football and basketball. In recent years, tennis has become more accessible and attractive to a wider audience, especially because of players like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Iga Swiatek. These young, successful players have exciting styles that draw attention to the sport and inspire a new generation.

The growth of tennis popularity depends on the country, influenced by infrastructure support and youth development programs. This makes it interesting to study how tennis is developing in different European countries and across the continent, and to compare it with other parts of the world.

How popular is tennis worldwide?

According to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), there are 106 million tennis players globally, with data collected from 199 national tennis associations. Over the past five years, participation in tennis has increased by 25.6%. The most active regions in the sport are Asia, Europe, and the USA.

Global tennis player distribution infographic. Shows percentage of players by region: Asia 33.4%, Europe 27.9%, North America 27.2%, South America 8.3%, Africa 0.8%, Oceania 1.7%, Central America & Caribbean 0.6%. Total players: 99% from 33 nations, 7% registered with National Associations. — Number of tennis players in the world, 2024. Illustration source: ITF

When looking at the global distribution of tennis players by country, the USA ranks in the top five with a 22.5% share, followed by China at 19.8%, India at 9.2%. Among European countries, Great Britain ranks at 8.6%, and Germany at 6%.

Global distribution of all tennis players by nation in 2024. The USA leads with 22.5%, followed by China at 19.8%, India at 9.2%, and Great Britain at 8.6%. Other notable countries include Germany (6.0%), Canada (4.7%), Argentina (4.2%), Brazil (3.9%), and France (3.8%). Japan has 3.2%, Italy 2.8%, Spain 2.1%, Australia 1.4%, Netherlands 1.0%, South Africa 0.7%, and Mexico 0.6%. The remaining 5.5% represents the rest of the world. — Global distribution of all tennis players by nation. Illustration source: ITF

The expansion of grassroots tennis in the last five years has been largely fueled by North America, which gained 8,6 millions new players (42.2%), followed by South America, which saw an increase of 5,3 players (150.3%), and Europe, which experienced a growth of 3,9 players (15.3%).

How widespread is tennis in European countries?

In Europe, tennis is popular at all levels, and special attention is given to Great Britain’s progress. Over five years, it has overtaken Germany to become the leader, with around 9.1 million tennis players in total.

Bar chart comparing the number of tennis players in European countries between 2019 and 2024, showing Great Britain leading with 9.1 million players in 2024. — Number of tennis players in the top 10 countries in Europe, in thousands. Infographic: Racket One

The largest increase in tennis players was seen in Turkey, where the number rose from 45.8 thousand to 250 thousand. Notable progress was also made by Italy, which surpassed Spain, along with significant growth in Poland, Austria, and Portugal.

Important to note

The figures presented in the ITF report warrant careful consideration, as their accuracy remains open to question. National associations provided their own assessments of tennis popularity within their countries, which introduces an inevitable degree of subjectivity. Furthermore, the prevalence of round numbers in the results suggests they are rough estimates rather than precise measurements.

Nevertheless, while the data may lack precision, it offers valuable insight into broader trends, shedding light on the overall state of tennis both globally and within Europe.

Read more about the development of tennis in European countries in our Tennis in Europe section.