Data obtained from Tennis Australia\u2019s award winning Book a Court online booking system has shown a sharp increase in the number of people playing tennis during May 2020, compared to the same time last year.<\/p>\n
A record 32,234 bookings were made across Australia at 235 tennis venues using the technology last month (May) alone.<\/p>\n
Across the 35 Book a Court venues in New South Wales there were 8129 bookings during the month of May, and a 230% increase compared to May 2019.<\/p>\n
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley is not surprised by the increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always known that tennis is a unique sport \u2013 it can be played by anyone no matter their age or ability \u2013 and now, during the pandemic, we are seeing more people enjoying the social, mental and physical benefits of sport while maintaining strict physical distancing measures,\u201d Tiley said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe increase in bookings we\u2019ve seen across the country is not accidental. Safety and trust have been the most important factors as clubs and coaches across the country have prepared for the return to tennis and the team has done a remarkable job to give everyone the information and bio security protocols they need to get players back on court as safely as possible. And our clubs and tennis venues are seeing the rewards as a result of their efforts<\/p>\n
\u201cAs restrictions in most of the country continue to ease over the coming months we hope to build on these results as we approach our summer, and know that as long as we all continue to play our part and practice all the physical distancing and hygiene protocols, tennis at all levels can also play a major role in the recovery from this devastating pandemic”.<\/p>\n