It was not only a victory for American tennis, but an emphatic ace for diversity in a sport that has not always reflected the multi-ethnic makeup of this country.

With her victory at the U.S. Open, Coco Gauff followed in the footsteps of greats such as Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe and the Williams sisters, who opened the doors to players of color and helped make the sport more accessible.

Something the USTA, the governing body of tennis in this country, says starts at the grassroots level.

“We’re completely dependent on the base, the base of recreational play, once a week, families, parents, kids so for us to have the biggest possible base we got to make the game more accessible,” Martin Blackman, General Manager, Player Development at the USTA, said. “We got to make sure that it’s welcoming for people of every culture.”

What You Need To Know

  • A recent study shows that participation in the sport among Latino players has grown by 90% over the past three years

  • There are now almost four million players of Hispanic origin that have taken up the sport. This is due in large part to programs that are designed to make it more accessible and affordable

  • Those who are pushing for more diversity in the sport are hoping that the growth of tennis at the grassroots level will lead to more Latino players in the pro ranks

For decades now, the USTA has been working to promote the sport’s growth on every level, including going into communities of color. Those efforts are now reflected in the pro ranks with players like Gauff, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton leading the way.

Former tennis player and now tennis commentator Mary Jo Fernandez says she has also seen interest in the game blossom in the Latino community.

“I feel like there’s many more children playing from Hispanic families, Latin families,” Mary Jo Fernandez, former professional tennis player, said. “I think the USTA has done a great job with the grassroots. They’ve really have taken tennis to the parks, provided free rackets and equipment and tennis courts to be able to get the children out there.

The numbers reflect that. A recent study by the Physical Activity Council shows that tennis participation grew by one million players in 2022. And over the past three years that growth has been especially evident among the Hispanic population, which has seen a 90% increase in the number of tennis players. 

Those numbers, however, are still lagging in professional tennis. Right now, there is only one American player of Hispanic origin in the Top 100, both in women’s and men’s singles.

“One of the things that we heard was that culturally we have a lot of Hispanic and Latino kids coming into the sport, but from a family perspective, the importance of college and going into that pathway still trumps that professional dream,” Blackman said. “So I don’t necessarily see that as a totally negative thing because we also have the growth that we spoke about, but selfishly from a player development perspective, I want to see more Latino and Latina players.”

Blackman says that recruiting more Hispanic coaches and leaders in the sport will go a long way in pulling more players into the pro ranks. 

And with the increase in participation at the grassroots level, there is hope that in the not too distant future, it will be a Latino player holding the U.S. Open trophy.