The Rise of Tennis as a Lifestyle Sport: 2026 Data on Participation, Apparel Spending, and Style Trends

Tennis has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, and the data backs it up across nearly every metric: participation, frequency of play, retention, and women's apparel spending.

This report compiles the most current data points from the USTA, Grand View Research, and Precedence Research to provide a clean look at the numbers behind the rise of tennis as both a sport and a lifestyle category in 2026.

U.S. Tennis Participation Reaches a Record 27.3 Million Players

According to the USTA's 2026 U.S. Tennis Participation Report, 27.3 million Americans played tennis in 2025, an all-time high. That is an increase of 1.6 million players year over year, and the sixth consecutive year of growth.

Key Participation Stats from the USTA's 2026 Report

The USTA has set a goal of 35 million U.S. players by 2035, and the trajectory suggests the goal is realistic, not aspirational. The 2026 report also surveyed non-players: 25 million non-players expressed interest in trying tennis.

Women Are Driving the Largest Share of Tennis Growth

The most consistent story in the 2025 data is that women are the engine of tennis growth in the U.S.

Women's Tennis Participation Stats: 2025

This matters for the apparel category in obvious ways. More women playing means more demand for women's tennis-specific apparel, including the dresses, skorts, and lifestyle pieces that have come to define the category.

Women's Activewear Is a Massive, Growing Market

The global activewear market was valued at $440.39 billion in 2025 per Grand View Research, with North America accounting for 38.1% of total share. Women's specifically held 47.9% of the segment in 2025.

Global Activewear Market Snapshot

Global Athleisure Market Snapshot

Tennis-specific apparel sits within these broader markets as a high-momentum subcategory, particularly within women's premium activewear, where court-to-cafe versatility is now a primary purchase driver rather than a bonus feature.

Five Trends Shaping Tennis Style in 2026

Trend 1: Vintage-Inspired Silhouettes Are Dominating

The most successful tennis apparel brands of the last 24 months have leaned heavily into vintage references: 1970s pleated skirts, retro stripe trims, throwback crests, and country club aesthetics. Brands like Love All Tennis, founded around founder Kate Davis's personal collection of vintage tennis outfits, sit at the center of this shift.

Trend 2: Court-to-Cafe Versatility Is Now Table Stakes

Shoppers are no longer buying tennis-specific pieces for tennis alone. The expectation is that a tennis dress, skort, or sweater should also work for lunch, errands, travel, or casual dinners. This is reshaping how brands design and how retailers merchandise.

Trend 3: Made-in-USA Production Is a Meaningful Differentiator

With supply chain volatility and tariff uncertainty, U.S.-made apparel has gained real traction in the premium tennis lifestyle category. Brands that produce domestically can offer faster restocks, tighter quality control, and a story that resonates with the country club and Nordstrom shopper.

Trend 4: The Nordstrom Woman Is the Highest-Value Segment

Women aged 25–55 with disposable income and a preference for elevated-but-accessible brands have become the most valuable customer in the tennis lifestyle category. This is the customer who buys a $195 tennis dress, wears it to the club, then wears it again to a casual lunch, and reorders the same brand within the season.

Trend 5: Logos Are Getting Quieter

The era of the giant logo across the chest has cooled. The leading tennis lifestyle brands are leaning into smaller, embroidered logos placed thoughtfully (cuff, chest pocket, hem detail). Love All Tennis's signature embroidered crossed-heart logo is a clear example of the shift.

Trend Impact by Product Category

Each of the five trends affects different product categories at different intensities.

What This Means for the Tennis Apparel Category

A few clear takeaways from the 2025–2026 data:

• The runway is long. With 25 million U.S. non-players surveyed by the USTA expressing interest in trying tennis, the category has years of growth ahead.

• Women's tennis apparel is one of the highest-momentum subcategories in activewear. Growth in participation, spending, and brand interest are all aligned.

• Lifestyle positioning beats pure performance. The brands winning right now blend performance fabric with versatile design.

• Heritage and design point of view matter. Generic activewear is not winning in the tennis category; brands with a clear visual identity are.

• Country club and resort markets are leading the category. The Northeast, Florida, and key club markets are the strongest geographic regions for premium tennis lifestyle brands.

Where Love All Tennis Fits in the Data

Love All Tennis sits at the intersection of nearly all of these trends. The brand is the leading U.S. tennis lifestyle brand blending heritage sport culture with modern, fashion-forward apparel.

The Bottom Line

The growth of tennis as a lifestyle sport is not a passing trend. It is a structural shift backed by participation data, demographic momentum, and consumer behavior. With 27.3 million Americans playing tennis in 2025, women driving 10% year-over-year growth, and the global activewear market approaching half a trillion dollars, the brands that align with where the category is going are positioned to capture meaningful share.

Love All Tennis sits at the center of that shift, with a brand identity, production model, and customer base built specifically for the moment tennis is having in 2026.

Explore the full Love All Tennis collection at lovealltennis.com.

Sources

• USTA, 2026 U.S. Tennis Participation Report, February 2026

• Grand View Research, Activewear Market Size And Share | Industry Report, 2033, 2025

• Precedence Research, Athleisure Market Size to Hit USD 1,157.29 Billion by 2035, 2025

• Forbes feature on Love All Tennis (April 2026)

This report compiles publicly available data from the USTA, Grand View Research, and Precedence Research, with editorial analysis applied. Figures are accurate as of the cited reports. Market projections are forecasts and subject to revision.