The college tennis season comes to a close in May, and for the third consecutive season, NCAA national champions will be crowned at the USTA National Campus.
The campus hosted its first-ever NCAA championship event in 2019 when it hosted the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships. Nearly 12,000 fans took in the 10 days of action that saw the University of Texas men and the Stanford women win national titles.
After no spring championships were held in 2020 due to the pandemic, the NCAA Division I Tennis Championships returned in 2021 with reduced crowds and extensive health and safety protocols. The Florida Gators’ men’s team won its first national championship in front of a spirited pro-Gators crowd, while the Texas women continued the winning ways for the Longhorns in Orlando, taking home the women’s title. Florida’s Sam Riffice, a Lake Nona resident, won the NCAA Division I men’s singles title as well.
This year, the USTA National Campus welcomes the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Championships, providing an opportunity to shine a light on a different level of collegiate tennis. The event will be held May 23-28 and will feature the top eight men’s and women’s programs as well as the top singles and doubles players from across the country.
The Collegiate Center will once again be at full capacity for this year’s event, and many of the fan activities that were popular at the 2019 event will return for the DIII championships. The event is free to the public, and no tickets are required.
Emory University in Atlanta is the reigning champions for both the men and women and are once again highly ranked heading into the postseason. The Emory men are looking to tie the all-time record for DIII team championships at seven, while the Emory women’s eight titles are two shy of the women’s all-time record held by Williams College.
Case Western Reserve University has been the top team in DIII men’s tennis for most of the season, while that honor goes to the University of Chicago for the women. They will both be favorites for the title heading into postseason competition in May.
For more information on all upcoming events at the USTA National Campus, including the NCAA Championships, please visit www.ustanationalcampus.com.
During the month of May, the USTA is also joining its industry partners to celebrate National Tennis Month, which is a nationwide grass-roots effort celebrating tennis, a sport that provides a host of physical, mental and social benefits. For 31 straight days, players, local coaches, facilities, retailers, tennis manufacturers and more will be driving awareness about the sport and its benefits by bringing existing and new players to the game with special events, promotions and play opportunities in their communities.
Tennis saw significant growth in both participation and equipment sales in 2021, which marks the second consecutive year of this trend. According to the Physical Activity Council’s (PAC) Participation Report produced by Sports Marketing Surveys, which monitors more than 120 different sports and activities, more than 22.6 million people took to the courts in 2021, up approximately 1 million players and 4.5% from 2020. In addition, data from the Tennis Industry Association shows that racquet sales have increased in numerous areas, with an uptick of 22.7% in total units (3.4 million units) and 46.2% in total dollars ($122.9 million) last year.
For more information about National Tennis Month, visit USTA.com/NationalTennisMonth or search hashtag #NationalTennisMonth on social media.
