SOLVING AMERICA’S TENNIS PARTICIPATION PROBLEM: A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY By Javier Palenque

To effectively address the declining tennis participation in the U.S., the USTA must undergo a fundamental transformation, prioritizing accessibility, affordability, and genuine community engagement. This requires reducing excessive tournament fees, expanding outreach programs in underserved areas, and modernizing the organization’s bureaucracy to focus on player engagement and development rather than administrative self-preservation and control of the game while doing nothing for the sport.

At the core of this transformation is a cultural shift—undoubtedly the most challenging aspect of the solution required. True progress demands new leadership with fresh ideas and a commitment to growing the game, rather than maintaining an insular system that prioritizes personal gain and preserving the failed status quo. The USTA mistakenly believes that simply rotating leadership solves systemic issues, but the real problem lies in a culture of entitlement and self-service that undermines the sport’s long-term growth.

The U.S. Open, while a marquee event, has become little more than a high-end corporate spectacle—a fleeting, two-week entertainment venue for bankers and their global clients. It does nothing to cultivate year-round tennis participation or foster a lasting community around the sport. In simple language, the bankers don't buy anything that serves the tennis ecosystem, not a can of balls, not a lesson, not a pair of shorts.

Tennis, in its purest form, thrives in public parks, in programs that engage children, in parents who actively participate, and in communities built around shared passion for the game. Sustainable growth cannot be achieved through temporary, contractor-run events like the US Open—it requires a leadership mindset that prioritizes grassroots engagement over the bureaucracy, ensuring that tennis flourishes beyond the elite show for bankers and clients and reaches all who wish to play.

Remember the US Open is not tennis, it is just a show for entertainment with food, drinks, people, and foreigners playing their hearts out. Growth of the US Open does not translate to growth in tennis in America the equation is inversely proportional. Growth in the US Open means more expensive prices for a few bankers, more bureaucracy, and more contractors hired. The financials tell this story.

Listen to a detailed solution strategy in this podcast.

I say NO to ineptitude and yes to growing the game.

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