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Key to the USTA’s audacious goal of reaching 35 million tennis players in the U.S. by the year 2035 is ensuring there are enough courts and facilities for people of all abilities to use.
And, as might be expected, the USTA has a game plan for that, and it hinges on the work of its Tennis Venue Services department, which in 2024 celebrated two decades of working to bring new facilities and courts online and renovating and updating existing facilities to keep them playable.
“It’s simple: We can’t grow the game without having places to play,” Todd Carlson, Director of USTA Tennis Venue Services (TVS) told RSI Magazine recently.
Tennis participation has already surged to a new high of 25.7 million players, following promotion and instruction efforts by the USTA. All those players need courts and the organization has responded.
Last year, TVS issued about $1.8 million in grants for tennis infrastructure. For 2025, that grant amount available has been increased to $10 million, creating increased opportunities for organization interested in improving facilities.
As Carlson notes, “With the increased budget for 2025, we are now able to support more facilities. But also, this year we’re increasing the maximum grant amounts facilities can receive.”
The TVS grant application process also has been streamlined, making it easier to apply for funding, Carlson adds, while also making it faster for approved projects to receive funds. TVS grants fall into three categories, from basic facility improvements (Category I), to resurfacing of existing facilities, adding or replacing lighting, fencing, etc. (Category II), to new construction and reconstruction (Category III).
For each approved project, grant funding is capped at $60,000. And Carlson notes that USTA is more than willing to talk through any questions.
“We’re always ready to jump on a call with someone. We want to help them prioritize tennis.”
Information on the Tennis Venue Services is available at usta.com/facilities.
Since 2020, TVS grants to 241 projects across the country have impacted nearly 2,000 tennis courts. But USTA’s TVS also offers other complimentary services, such as:
- Technical Services, including facility assessments; help with renovation plans; reviews of bids and construction documents, suggestions for cost-saving measures, etc.
- Business Services, such as help connecting public and private developers, financial recommendations, identifying potential partners and funding sources, as well as assistance with business plans.
- Advocacy Services, including providing tools, research and data to help support local tennis projects.
- Facility Management Support and Digital Tools, to help oversee court bookings, promote the business and more.
“As more tennis courts and facilities come online, we need to make sure we have programming and coaches for them, “Carlson says, “so we also work with facility owners and managers to connect them with their USTA section and with other services they may need to keep their new and renovated facilities active and vital.“
In addition to Carlson, the TVS team includes managers Amelia Storer and Lauren Parr, along with coordinator Hector Gonzalez, all working with parks, communities and USTA Sections to grow tennis at the grassroots.
Since 2005, the USTA’s TVS grant program has awarded more than $19 million in TVS grants, including $1.2 million in 2024 that impacted more than 500 courts in more than 60 communities.
Note: Facilities must be open to the public to qualify for TVS grant funding.
As part of the overall TVS grant program, the USTA launched the US Open Legacy Initiative in celebration of Coco Gauff’s 2023 US Open women’s singles title. The initiative was aimed at reinvigorating courts at parks, schools and other public facilities across the U.S. in Gauff’s honor, a moved deemed “particularly fitting as Gauff herself first held a racquet at a public tennis facility.”
As a part of the initiative, the USTA pledged $3 million towards projects around the country, matching the total prize money won by the US Open women’s singles champion that year. The initiative was kicked off in 2024 as the USTA, along with Gauff and local leaders, unveiled refurbished tennis courts in Gauff’s hometown of Delray Beach, Florida.
Additionally, in 2024 the USTA Foundation funded nearly $1 million in court refurbishment projects, impacting approximately 100 courts utilized by the Foundation's National Junior Tennis & Learning network, which deliver tennis and education programming to underserved communities.
USTA Sections also support local infrastructure development through supplemental grant programs in conjunction with the TVS team.
"We're immensely grateful for the generous support from the USTA," said Fernando Velasco, who is the executive director of the Capital Area Tennis Association in Austin, Texas. His organization, which has been promoting and delivering tennis to the Austin community for more than 50 years, received two TVS grants over the past year to resurface courts at two public tennis facilities.
"These facilities are well used by the community for league play, tournaments, social events and NJTL programs," Velasco added. "The completion of these projects will help us continue to serve our community through tennis and it would not be possible without the funding from the USTA and all of our community partners."
Tennis Venue Services also works with experts in court and facility design and construction, along with key facility and parks professionals. Grant recipients also receive start-to-finish project management assistance from the USTA’s TVS team. It provides industry-leading experience in tennis court and facility design, as well as technical assistance, including construction document review and business development insight, to ensure the facilities can deliver tennis at a high-level.
“No matter how far along you maybe with your project, our TVS team will meet you where you are,” Carlson notes. “Whether you are just beginning to plan for new construction or a renovation, or if you’ve already started a project, or simply want to add blended lines, or lights, or fencing, we’ll be able to help.”
NRPA profiled a number of public and municipal facilities that had been helped by the USTA TVS program. And while the organization acknowledges the role played by private courts and facilities, it also noted that the growth of the sport in the future (leading up to 2035) would be driven by the participation of individuals at the public level.
“Growing the sport through grassroots programming and play opportunities afforded by public parks and schools is a prime directive of the USTA,” noted Shonae Eddins-Bennett, director of Birmingham’s parks and recreation department. “Its services, which range from design to business model recommendations, to assessment of current venues and more, are free. And, since parks are an enormous driver of play in the United States, the USTA fully intends to continue its support.”
“Public parks represent a key area of focus for the USTA as we look to grow the game and increase access to our wonderful sport,” noted Craig Morris, USTA’s chief executive of community tennis at the time. “Our ability to service and support park agencies through trained providers, facility improvements, program opportunities and digital tools is critical to our mission and will remain at the forefront for years to come.”
Note: USTA TVS grants and services extend only to tennis facilities. For facilities that will serve multiple sports, such as tennis and pickleball, tennis and padel, etc., USTA will prorate its support to cover only the tennis portion of the facilities. TVS representatives can provide complete information on this.
Note: Separate grants are also available to colleges who create courts as community engagement hubs. USTA also has multiple avenues to assist with adaptive tennis programs, with information available at the same link.
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