The Ultimate Lifetime Sport

"The U.S. Open is one of the few occasions a year when tennis really gets its due in America. More than 1 million people-including Simone Biles, Aaron Judge, and other top athletes-shelled out for tickets last year, feverish heat be damned. Ticket sales this year are up by 8 percent. The sold-out after-party, featuring the band Odesza, will transform New York's Louis Armstrong Stadium from tennis court to dance club."

"But over the past half century, tennis has been dramatically democratized. The sport has been growing since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when hitting a ball outside, 80 feet from anyone else, seemed to be one of the healthiest exercise options available; last year, more than 25 million Americans played. Tennis today unfolds predominantly on public courts. You might even have a middle school up the street where you can play-just disregard the blue pickleball tape across the baseline."

"Tennis is a full-body workout. It not only builds muscle but also elevates your heart rate. It is notably more aerobically challenging than pickleball, which has, for the past few years, infringed on tennis's court space and crowded the zeitgeist. To reach the tennis ball before its fateful second bounce requires horsepower, and you're responsible for covering a lot of ground-more than double the pickleball plot."

The U.S. Open attracts more than one million spectators, including top athletes, with ticket sales up 8 percent and a sold-out after-party transforming Louis Armstrong Stadium. Tennis originated as an aristocratic pastime in 1881 on Newport grass courts but has become dramatically democratized over the past half century. Participation surged during the coronavirus pandemic and now exceeds 25 million Americans, with play concentrated on public courts and local schools. The sport requires only a racket, a ball, and a partner, and online resources like Venus Williams's tutorials lower entry barriers. Tennis provides a full-body, aerobic workout, demanding more court coverage and intensity than pickleball.

Read at The Atlantic