How best to celebrate tennis? May we suggest: National Tennis Month

This article comes from the May 2025 edition of Racquet Sports Industry. Click here to read the full issue.

National Tennis Month started just four years ago as a way to offer tennis providers a natural—and national—platform to help grow the game in their communities, and to help highlight their businesses. That first month, May 2021, involved a lot of quick patchwork, but everything got up and running. And importantly, it was now on the calendar for the month of May for the future.

In the last four years, the USTA and other industry companies and groups, including USTA sections, have continued to devote more support and resources to National Tennis Month. NTM gives every tennis provider—teaching pros/coaches, facilities, park & recs, CTAs, NJTLs, retailers, manufacturers and more—an annual platform in which to bring new players into local programs, inspire lapsed players to re-engage with the sport, and energize existing players to play more (and buy more).

There’s a good chance, too, that NTM played a major part in this past year’s 8.3 percent participation increase to 25.7 million tennis players in the U.S., and to the increase in retention this sport has experienced.

Keeping it Local

An important focus for NTM has always been on the “local” aspect of promoting the game. For the most part, programming and events are left up to whatever local tennis providers decide is best for their own communities.

Significantly, providers of all types can also tie their regular programming into National Tennis Month, benefitting locally from this nationwide promotion. USTA section and local staff and volunteers also have been leaning into NTM, running events, exhibitions and promotions in May. In fact, a number of sections offer grants for providers that run programs for NTM (check with your USTA section).

As interest in NTM has grown over the years, the USTA is tracking progress through registering events on Serve Tennis, and through reporting on local or state National Tennis Month proclamations that have been issued. This reporting, while not mandatory, has helped to show how the sport has been growing from year to year, and helps to state the case for continued support for this important annual initiative.

There really is something for everyone, so retailers, brands, providers and ultimately consumers all win. Mickey Maule, USTA managing director for Industry & Sales

Promoting NTM

For tools and resources you can use to help promote NTM, and tennis in general, visit the recently updated USTA.com/NTM website. Tennis providers should click “Host an Event” to list their NTM events on a searchable database. Consumers can click “Find an Event” to narrow in on NTM happenings in their communities.

Among the resources for NTM are marketing and promotional material, NTM artwork, press releases and press release templates, much of which is customizable.

One of the most popular resources on the website have been the “proclamation” templates that providers can download, customize and submit online for states, communities or even schools to declare May as National Tennis Month. Having a local or state proclamation is a great way to generate publicity and interest in tennis. (While there was no central tracking system for NTM proclamations, anecdotal evidence appears to indicate that last year, well over 100 were issues around the country.) The website also has links to submit a proclamation or an NTM success story to win a USTA prize pack.

On May 10, there will be a “Hit to Be Fit” event at the USTA National Campus in Orlando and at 300 satellite locations around the country, which will feature Cardio Tennis Triples and an adult Red Ball activation. Visit the website for more information on hosting or attending a Hit to be Fit event.

Industry Support

More and more top businesses are stepping up to help support National Tennis Month, including Fage yogurt, which is a key US Open sponsor. This year, Fage will run a US Open sweepstakes to win a pair of tickets to their luxury suite at the Open, which includes airfare and hotel. The company also will launch a tennis-inspired recipe just for NTM, in addition to using its presence on social media and in the marketplace to boost awareness.

That’s not all. NTM has dozens of promotional partners, including top retailers who are using NTM to help drive business and interest in tennis, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Tennis Warehouse, Midwest Racquet Sports, Tennis Express, Tennis Plaza in Florida and Game, Set, Match in Colorado and Las Vegas—all tying into NTM to help support the sport.

USTA Connect Partners such as Recycleballs and Court Reserve also are on board, as are major tennis, sports and fitness clubs including Midtown, Cliff Drysdale Tennis/Peter Burwash International, Invited, Genesis, Sportime, Lifetime and Bay Clubs. Key industry partners supporting NTM include Tennis Industry United, Head, Wilson, Babolat, Dunlop, ITA, ATA and NRPA, along with the educational website GoNoodle.

“There really is something for everyone, so retailers, brands, providers and ultimately consumers all win,” notes Mickey Maule, USTA managing director for Industry & Sales.

“National Tennis Month is a fantastic opportunity for anyone to come out and see all the tennis community has to offer,” says Elliott Pettit, the USTA’s senior director of Retention & Brand.

“We hope it can serve as a connector to attract new players, inspire our current players and strengthen ties locally where the game is played. “More than anything, we just want people to get out and enjoy the world's healthiest sport!”