Is the game of tennis still growing?

It was long considered that if Great Britain had a Wimbledon champion once again that everybody would run through the streets the local park or tennis club to play.  Well two Wimbledon wins, a Davis Cup several medals at the Olympics and latest figures show that tennis participation has actually been reduced by 14% in the last decade.  How has this happened?  Well it has several factors, one being peoples busy lifestyles and the rise of "door step sports". Cycling and running do not require a partner or a pre booked court or overly weather dependent. 

The governing bodies of tennis such as the ITF, ATP and WTA have begun to address these issues with different variations of the sport to perhaps speed up matches and have introduced various new match formats to do just this. There have even been suggestions on removing ball bouncing between serves (don't tell Novak!) to make the action more non stop.

However those of us here at Ace Tennis Camps like the format, the tactical pauses in play to decide and compose on the next tactic or point. It is what makes tennis the sport where individuals battle each other. As a tennis camps we have always endorsed the social benefits of tennis. Being able to play with anyone, anywhere. Sport on your door step is great but perhaps is another step towards less human interaction and more smartphone interaction.  Checking your personal best in solitude rather than discussing the pulsating third set decided on the local park.  No doubt tennis must adapt but as a sport for young people to participate in, then the social interaction and key skill development must remain a priority.  Of course at Ace Tennis Camps we are slightly biased and we are excited about the next generation of young tennis players like Alexander Zverez (pictured) to arrive and thrill us all on the pro tour. Lets hope we can in the next ten years change the participation curve back to a positive.

Ace Tennis Camps will certainly be working hard to ensure as many young people as possible can have a great intensive tennis experience here in London.

Thanks for reading and any comments welcome.