A new analysis of the demand for tennis and tennis lessons across the UK over the past several months has revealed a 40% national rise since the last Wimbledon tournament in 2019, thanks to a skipped year in 2020 due to the pandemic, with regional insights showing Edinburgh locals have had the biggest increase in tennis lessons interest.
Historical search trends show that June and July often see a peak UK searches for tennis lessons, but coming out of lockdown, April 2021 has seen its highest year since 2007 and May also had one of its highest peaks ever. In addition, a YoY comparison also shows a 140% increase from April 2019 and April 2021.
One of the largest public providers of tennis lessons and courses in the country, Better, analysed search trends for tennis-related queries such as “tennis lessons near me” and “kids tennis lessons” to discover where the most inspired and excited tennis fans live in the UK in the lead up to this year’s Wimbledon.
The ranking considers the number of average monthly searches for these and similar tennis-related queries in all of 2021 so far and compares it to the lead up to the last tournament in 2019, to understand which city has shown the biggest uplift in tennis interest.
Edinburgh comes out on top as the most tennis-keen city, with a massive 84% rise in search queries for tennis lessons this year compared to last Wimbledon.
The Scottish capital is followed by Sheffield (66% increase) and then Glasgow (64% increase) – the birthplace of previous Champion Andy Murray.
Out of the 25 cities analysed, 18 of them saw an increase in tennis interest compared to last Wimbledon, with just 5 seeing a decrease.
Of those 5, Cardiff ranked at the bottom of the list, followed by Newport.
The top 10 cities most eager to get their tennis rackets in hand and head to the courts are:
| Ranking | City | Increase/Decrease since last Wimbledon |
| 1 | Edinburgh | 84% increase |
| 2 | Sheffield | 66% increase |
| 3 | Glasgow | 64% increase |
| 4 | Birmingham | 64% increase |
| 5 | London | 52% increase |
| 6 | Manchester | 45% increase |
| 7 | Belfast | 40% increase |
| 8 | Leicester | 40% increase |
| 9 | Derby | 33% increase |
| 10 | Leeds | 33% increase |
Better is one of the largest public providers of tennis lessons and courses in the country, and its internal bookings data also reflects the rising tide of interest, with a 17.5% increase in tennis bookings between May 2020 and April 2021 compared to the previous year.
Better’s National Tennis & Specialist Sports Manager, Joachim Treasurer commented on the rise in tennis demand and the future of grassroots tennis ahead of Wimbledon:
“The fact that outdoor tennis was one of the first activities to be allowed after lockdown saw a real boost to the sport, and with lots of people working from home or on furlough, the uptake of off-peak times soared as they had much more flexibility in their day.
“Supporting newcomers into the sport is vital, especially among youngsters, and we strive to encourage participation by sending coaches into schools across the country, including inner-city schools with children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We provide tennis equipment, and our coaches take PE lessons, put on lunch break sessions, and get involved in after-school clubs.
“Wimbledon is an exciting time for British tennis, as the data shows, and we hope that through coaching and increased participation, we can support future stars to join the sport and one day play at major tournaments like this.”
The top 10 locations based on the volume of search terms and each location’s population are below, with the full 25 City ranking found here.