Integrating sport into local communities across the world is an excellent way of improving health and teaching the value of sportsmanship. Once traditionally considered an English sport, tennis is gaining global popularity and has earned its place as one of the most played sports in the world.
Drawing in thousands of spectators at every event, Grand Slam matches and championship tournaments have delivered an excellent promotional platform for beginners and professionals alike to pick up a racquet and have a go themselves!
Currently dominated by Americans, Europeans and Australians, tennis is extending its popularity beyond these regions to gain an international following. With the emergence of high ranking Asian players such as Kei Nishikori and Li Na, the adoration for tennis has truly stepped up a notch in recent years. So much so, that Hong Kong is due to host its first Women’s Tennis Association Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open from 8 – 14 September 2014. This shows real progression in the popularity of the sport, significantly increasing its fan base across the globe.
This WTA tournament is the first international tennis tournament taking place in Hong Kong for more than a decade, reflecting its ever-growing popularity and money earning potential in the region.
Tennis and Social Media
Social media has played a very important role in helping tennis gain a worldwide following, as statistics show that #Wimbledon got 5.7 million global mentions on Twitter during the 2013 tournament held in London. Internationally, the WTA has approximately 70 million fans following women’s tennis on social media, 40% of which are from China. This signifies the extremely positive affect that Asian players such as Li Na have had on the population, inspiring others to take part in tennis events, be it spectating or playing the sport.
Further up-coming Tournaments
At the WTA championships taking place in Singapore from 17 – 26 October 2014, kids will be encouraged to go on-court in the Singapore indoor stadium for the chance to play at a respected sporting event themselves. Once they leave the sports hub full of excitement to play tennis, it is extremely important that there are plenty of opportunities for them to channel this energy into the sport. Whether people decide to play for fun or competitively, coaches must motivate potential players into enjoying the sport while providing their technical expertise so participants are encouraged to continue playing.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has announced that Turkey will host it’s first-ever tour event, titled the Istanbul Open. This clay-court event will take place from April 27-May 3 2015 and will be held at the Koza World of Sports, billed as the largest tennis academy in the world. Having previously hosted the WTA’s season-ending championships from 2011-2013, this is an amazing achievement for Istanbul and shows the widespread following that tennis now has. Istanbul’s inclusion into the ATP Tour schedule means there will be 62 tournaments in 32 countries next year which puts into perspective how the popularity of tennis is increasing throughout the world.
Directing this passion for tennis into getting active and playing the sport is primarily down to 2 factors: the ideal playing surface and correct equipment.
Here at Charles Lawrence, we are committed to providing the finest tennis playing surface to suit your individual requirements, preference and budget. All of our tennis court designs have been tried and tested to encourage high performance and total functionality. Our list of tennis court services include:– Court Installation– Court Re-surfacing– Court Renovation– Court Maintenance
Simply give us a ring or contact us online today for further information – our qualified, friendly team are always on hand to help.
