Growing padel courts, pickleball complexes in town: the boom in racket sports is accelerating. But is this to the detriment of tennis in a turf war between disciplines? Not at all according to American figures!
In the United States, the historic sport of racquet still attracts 27.3 million players in 2025, according to the United States Tennis Association (USTA). This explosion comes as pickleball and padel break records. THE tennisfar from fading away, is gaining players. The United States Tennis Association reports that participation has jumped 54% since 2019, while pickleball increased from 4.2 million to 24.3 million players. According to Nielsen Fan Insights, 70% of padel fans and 68% of pickleball fans also follow tennis, a sign of the same universe rather than competing disciplines. And this global movement is starting to be seen in France.
Tennis participation and pickleball boom
According to the United States Tennis Association’s 2026 report, 27.3 million Americans ages 6 and older played
tennis at least once in 2025, compared to 17.7 million in 2019. The same study specifies that pickleball has 24.3 million participants and that padel already reaches 1.1 million players. In other words, all racquet sports are rising together, but tennis remains number one in volume.
The United States Tennis Association also observes more intense practice: 14.5 million players play at least ten sessions per year and represent 93% of the 616 million games played in 2025. The organization highlights the health benefits and recalls studies according to which tennis players live on average 9.7 years longer than sedentary people, an argument that speaks to people in their forties and seniors.
Who is driving tennis practice?
Still according to the United States Tennis Association, adults aged 35 and over accounted for nearly 95% of tennis growth.
tennis in 2025, with 1.5 million new practitioners. The 35-44 year old group increased by 13% in one year, those aged 65 and over by 14%. Female participation also increases by 10%, or 1.1 million additional players, which establishes tennis among the major mixed sports.
According to Nielsen Fan Insights, 33% of the world’s population declares themselves a tennis fan, and 70% of padel fans, like 68% of pickleball fans, also follow this sport. The Padel-Beach site also states: “Padel, beach tennis and pickleball do not replace tennis: they complement it“. This logic of bridges comes into play in clubs where you reserve a padel court with friends before signing up, a few months later, for a tennis lesson.
In France, tennis clubs and new sports
In France, Pickleball France figures there are 10,000 players, and 400 tennis clubs have dedicated courts. The French Badminton Federation speaks of a “complementary offer in our clubs”, a vision which supports participation in tennis.