USTA Coaching has surpassed 17,000 community members in its first year, underscoring the growing need for qualified instructors as U.S. tennis participation continues its multi-year surge. Launched in August 2025, the national coaching platform was created to expand and modernize the coaching pipeline for everyone from professional instructors and high school coaches to parents, teachers and volunteers. The initiative comes as U.S. tennis participation reached 27.3 million players in 2025, a 54 percent increase since 2019, while USTA research indicates only about two in 10 players receive formal coaching.
A centerpiece of the initiative is the USTA Coaching Online Learning Hub, launched last November. The platform now includes 31 educational badges, 83 modules, more than 250 on-demand videos and approximately 1,500 hours of instructional content covering topics ranging from introductory and junior coaching to wheelchair tennis, cardio tennis and athlete-centered development. More than 1,500 coaches also participated in 135 in-person workshops during the organization’s first year, with many sessions conducted through more than 44 Coaching Education Centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
USTA Coaching is also targeting greater diversity within the profession. Women currently account for 34 percent of its community, while coaches under age 30 represent 24 percent. Programs supporting that effort include the Women in Coaching Cohort and a collaboration with WeCOACH designed to introduce collegiate women tennis players to coaching careers. The organization is also working with university racquet sports management programs and expanding education opportunities through HBCUs and community tennis initiatives.
The organization marked its first anniversary with the inaugural Coaches Open, held Aug. 25-27 in New York City. The event brought together 500 coaches for education and professional development, with a speaker lineup that included Billie Jean King, Dawn Staley and Grand Slam-winning coaches Darren Cahill and Paul Annacone. USTA Coaching CEO Craig Morris said the challenge now is ensuring that growth in the coaching workforce keeps pace with participation as the USTA works toward its broader goal of reaching 35 million U.S. tennis players by 2035.
