While some regions like Asia and South America are producing stars, tennis remains less diverse than other global sports. What barriers need breaking to expand its reach?
When I look at the Men's Singles and Women's Singles main draws, I see a wide variety of nationalities represented (many from Europe, but also a decent number from Asia, Australia, and the Americas - and even a few from Africa). And the recent winners of women's Grand Slams have a very wide geographical spread (admittedly, that's less true on the men's side, but that's mainly because of the sheer dominance of the Big Three in recent years!).
So, IMO, tennis doesn't have a diversity problem: the only region that's noticeably underrepresented is Africa, and even that's easily explainable by economics.
The significant spending necessary for coaching, equipment, and other associated expenses have been a major factor in tennis's challenges with diversity. The sport is also frequently linked to exclusivity, and tennis courts are frequently inaccessible. There are no tennis courts in the province where I live, for example. These facilities are usually located in more progressive locations, which highlights the sport's accessibility issues.
I think Tennis needs to address financial barriers, improve accessibility, and increase grassroots programs to broaden its reach and inclusivity worldwide.
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