<p>WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Tennis, everyone?</p>
<p>The sport played by Serena Williams and Roger Federer was a hit last year, with recreational participation rising 22% in the United States, according to an annual survey from the Physical Activity Council.</p>
<p>In a release announcing the survey results, U.S. Tennis Association CEO Mike Dowse tied that increase to tennis’s status as an “ideal social distancing sport” during the coronavirus pandemic.</p>
<p>About 21.5 million people picked up a racket and headed to a court in 2020. There were nearly 3 million new players, a 44% increase from a year earlier.</p>
<p>According to the USTA, the Tennis Industry Association found that entry-level racket sales went up nearly 40%.</p>
<p>The USTA is one of eight sports associations listed as partners on the <a href="http://www.physicalactivitycouncil.com/">Physical Activity Council’s</a> website, which says the survey uses a representative panel of more than 1 million Americans and includes about 18,000 online interviews. </p>
<p>The survey examined people about more than 120 activities.</p>
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<p>More AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a></p>
