Courting an Economic Boom

In the sports and fitness world, the racquet sports category, which includes tennis and pickleball, as well as the emerging sport of padel (and plenty of others) has been growing steadily over the last few years. 
 

In fact, according to 2024 year-end data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball continues to be called out as the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row, having increased 45.8 percent in participation from 2023 to 2024.
 

In terms of overall participation through 2024, the SFIA says 25.7 million Americans played tennis and 19.8 million played pickleball last year. Across the country, facilities continue to be built to accommodate this growing interest in racquet and paddle sports.

Butler County, Pennsylvania

Nestled inside beautiful Graham Park in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, the UPMC Sportsplex features 19 dedicated pickleball courts, and another 11 courts can be added for tournaments. 
 

The active Cranberry Township Pickleball Association hosts a number of events at UPMC Sportsplex, including a Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in June that brings in some of the best players from surrounding states. The CTPA also has one-day and other events, often attracting about 150 players. Other major pickleball events in Butler County include the annual GAMMA Pickleball Classic in September.
 

Slippery Rock University features 12 tennis courts suitable for NCAA events and recreational play, along with 12 pickleball courts. The facility also has seating for fans, concessions and onsite parking, and has hosted events such as the 2025 PSAC Women’s Tennis Tournament and for pickleball, the Golden Ticket Grand Championships.
 

“We’re excited to work with our partners in Cranberry Township and Slippery Rock University who have expanded and updated their pickleball facilities to accommodate not only the local demand, but also local, regional and national tournaments,” says Perry Latimer, sales manager for Experience Butler County.
 

Experience Butler County offers a variety of services including welcoming committees at the venue or hotel, tourism ambassadors to help direct guests, site selection services, venue coordination, hotel sourcing, transportation coordination, vendor relations, volunteer recruitment, marketing expertise and more.

Conway, Arkansas

This past summer, the 133,000-square-foot, multi-sport Conway Community Center opened, offering 12 dedicated pickleball courts, among other amenities. 
 

“Pickleball continues to grow nationwide, and as our city made the decision to build a new community center, pickleball courts were a top request,” says Rachel Shaw, executive director of Visit Conway. “We’re looking to this facility to fill a need for our residents and also to provide a great environment for out-of-town guests and tournament directors.”
 

The Conway Tennis Center, opened in 2018, has eight hard surface, lighted tennis courts and has hosted high school tennis tournaments, USTA Southern Championships for adults, college tennis matches and the Conway Regional Tennis Classic, which brings in players from around the region.
 

 “We work with event owners by connecting them with facility managers and also by providing grant funding for bringing an event to Conway,” Shaw says. “We can also connect event owners with hotel and restaurant contacts so that teams, players and families can be sure they are getting the best we have to offer.”

Located along I-40 in Central Arkansas, Conway is a college town at heart, with three institutions of higher learning. Conway was also designated the fastest-growing city in Arkansas in recent years.

Greensboro, North Carolina

“Greensboro has long prided itself on being known as ‘Tournament Town,’” says Caleb Wilson of Visit Greensboro. “It’s the perfect mix of big city venues with small town hospitality. We have great venues, incredible local sports partners and a passion for hosting tennis and pickleball events.”
 

The award-winning Spencer Love Tennis Center offers 18 clay courts with permanent pavilions, bleacher seating, restrooms and parking. The city also offers a number of other tennis facilities that are pressed into service for large national events. 
 

For pickleball, the Greensboro Complex Special Events Center features more than 35 championship-grade portable pickleball courts. The Greensboro CVB purchased the courts for tournament play, along with nets, court barriers and signage. “Organizers simply have to bring their event; the rest is handled,” says Wilson.
 

Among the larger events the city has hosted, in 2024 and 2025, the North Carolina Mixed Doubles Championships brought in 1,400 adult tennis players from throughout the state (and is on tap again for 2026). 

For pickleball, a 2025 USA Pickleball Golden Ticket event brought more than 200 players from across the country competing for a shot at the Nationals. And the 2025 PlayTEAM Pickleball East Coast Championships, also set to return in 2026, attracted more than 450 athletes.
 

The CVB has partnerships throughout the city that can help athletes and families experience all that Greensboro has to offer. Tournament owners also can benefit from the CVB’s wide volunteer database in partnership with the Greensboro Sports Foundation. Also available is facility cost assistance and grant incentives.

Lexington County, South Carolina

Tennis and racquet/paddle sports are a part of the fabric of the community in Lexington County, South Carolina. The county’s Recreation & Aging Commission runs major, top-notch facilities for both sports, and there are plenty of other courts that can be used as needed. 
 

Minutes from downtown Columbia, the 21-court, lighted Lexington County Tennis Complex, with a stadium court that seats 500, is a premier destination for competitive events at all age levels. 
 

The two-story, 4,600-square-foot clubhouse offers a pro shop, stringing services, locker rooms, training area and patio viewing. The complex has hosted many USTA-sanctioned events, junior circuit events, collegiate matches and more.
 

The Cayce Tennis & Fitness Center at Otarre Pointe features 22 tennis courts (and seven permanent pickleball courts) and is designed with tournament play in mind, including college, regional and national events. 
 

The facility’s 6,000-square-foot clubhouse has meeting rooms, locker facilities and a fully equipped fitness center. With a proven track record of hosting high-level competitions and a dedicated staff, it’s a top choice for tennis events in the Southeast.
 

The new Cayce Pickleball Complex is a premier destination for players of all levels. Featuring a state-of-the-art layout with 16 dedicated, outdoor pickleball courts, the complex is designed to host local, regional and national tournaments. It also features professional-grade lighting, plenty of spectator seating, shaded viewing areas, restrooms and concessions.
 

In March, the complex hosted a PPA Challenger Tour event, bringing more than 300 players. “We recognized this as a place that has a large pickleball community that is really thriving, and this facility is brand-new, so it gave us a great opportunity with 16 beautiful courts to run a great tournament,” says Tanner Groff, VP of the PPA Challenger Tour.

Peachtree City, Georgia

“Recently recognized as the world’s healthiest sport, tennis continues to set the standard for lifelong fitness and engagement,” says Curtis Quandt, Peachtree City Tennis Center Manager. “The Peachtree City Tennis Center is proud to offer our community a comprehensive range of opportunities to participate, including junior and adult programming, league play and local and national tournaments.”
 

The Tennis Center has 24 total courts (12 outdoor hard courts, six outdoor clay and six covered) and a remodeled registration building to help facilitate tournaments. The facility regularly hosts USTA regional events. 
 

Visit Peachtree City helps connect rights holders with local tennis associations and tournament volunteers, and can also help secure hotel room blocks, restaurant discounts, social media exposure, signage, visitors’ guides and more.
 

New this year is Let’s Go Pickleball, a premier indoor club offering 21 courts with PlaySight camera systems, two indoor padel courts, LED lighting, tiered mezzanine viewing area with seating overlooking all courts, conference/party room, table and bar seating, pro shop, grab and go food options, fitness area and more.
 

“At Let’s Go Pickleball, we see ourselves as more than a club; we’re building a hub for families, players and fans to come together around the game,” says General Manager Chase Mason. The new facility has already hosted the 2025 Georgia Amateur Pickleball Championships in early October and has events on the schedule into 2026.

Sierra Vista, Arizona

The landscape surrounding Sierra Vista, in southeastern Arizona, ranges from cool forested mountains to rugged high-desert terrain, and the city is surrounded by the “Sky Islands,” three different mountain ranges that make the weather attractive year-round. 
 

“We’re at nearly a mile high, so we’re cooler,” says John Healy, the sports and aquatics supervisor for the city. “We do get our seasons, but we’re much cooler than what you’d think of when you picture Arizona.”
 

That means plenty of outdoor activity, including miles of hiking and biking trails, fascinating birding (“We’re the hummingbird capital of Arizona,” says Healy), exploring historic caverns and much more, including tennis and pickleball.
 

The city has six lighted tennis courts at Veterans Memorial Sports Complex, which were opened in 2023 and are available for tournaments. For pickleball, there are eight dedicated, lighted courts at the Oscar Yrun Community Center. 
 

The local Sky Island Pickleball Club, with more than 100 members, can help with tournaments coming into the area. The Club also hosts the Sky Island Pickleball Classic every September, which attract about 160 players.

Southern Illinois

“Pickleball in Williamson County isn’t just a pastime. It’s a community,” says Ashlee Spiller, executive director of visitSI. “From the freshly resurfaced courts in Herrin to the new additions at Black Diamond Pickleball Complex in Marion, the game has carved out a place in our community culture. What makes it special here is that visitors don’t just come to play. They come to enjoy the sense of community and hospitality that keeps bringing them back.”
 

Williamson County has quickly become a hub for pickleball and tennis enthusiasts, offering a wide range of facilities that appeal to all ages and skill levels. The Herrin Park District has six newly resurfaced outdoor tennis courts, with spectator seating.
 

In Marion, there are four courts at the Harrison Bruce Tennis Courts, which can also accommodate pickleball. The Black Diamond Pickleball Complex in Ray Fosse Park, also in Marion, is one of the most popular destinations for pickleball in Southern Illinois, with six dedicated outdoor hard courts. Additionally, the HUB Recreation Center in Marion has three indoor pickleball courts with permanent lines.

More pickleball courts are planned for 2026 and 2027, including up to four outdoor courts at the Arrowhead Lake Campground in Johnston City, and there will be both indoor and outdoor pickleball courts when the new Mammoth Fieldhouse in Marion opens.

Woodman’s Sports & Convention Center, Janesville, Wisconsin

The Woodman’s Sports & Convention Center is a 140,000-square-foot facility that just opened in Janesville, Wisconsin, featuring flexible spaces designed for a wide range of sporting events including pickleball, basketball, volleyball, ice and more. The climate-controlled venue can accommodate up to 12 pickleball courts inside the Robert & Delores Kennedy Convention Center. 
 

In addition, the 23,000-square-foot Multi-Purpose Arena provides convertible space between a year-round ice rink (with 1,500 spectator seats for hockey and ice events) and a dry-floor court or turf surface (with seating for approximately 250 spectators). During non-ice months, the arena can support up to nine pickleball courts for tournaments.
 

Additional amenities at Woodman’s Center include locker rooms, coaches’ offices, meeting and training rooms, concessions and parking for more than 2,000 vehicles, as well as accessibility features. The center is adjacent to Uptown Janesville shopping and several accommodations and dining options within walking distance.
 

“Our Woodman’s Center team is committed to delivering a world-class experience for tournament owners, coaches and players by offering versatile, state-of-the-art facilities designed to accommodate pickleball at every level,” says General Manager Tony Thiry. “With ample court space, flexible configurations and strong partnerships with local sports organizations and governing bodies, we are proud to position Woodman’s Center as a premier hub for pickleball.” SDM