As the largest public provider of tennis lessons and courses in the country, thousands of tennis enthusiasts pick up a racket for the first time every year at Better facilities, and few events encourage that excitement more than Wimbledon.

Last year, the great Grand Slam tournament was cancelled for the first time since World War II due to the pandemic. This year, however, it makes its long-awaited return in what will be a thrilling time for the millions of tennis fans who sorely missed the summer months without their favourite sport last year.

To quantify this interest across the UK and demonstrate the impact it has on those in the grassroots or others wishing to get involved in the sport for the first time, we analysed search interest among 25 of the country’s largest cities to determine the city ‘most excited’ for a return to the court. The analysis used search data for terms like “tennis lessons,” “tennis lessons near me” and “kids tennis lessons,” to create the ranking in relation to each location’s increase in search interest.

Our research revealed that Edinburgh was the most tennis-keen city, with an 84% rise in search queries compared to the same period in the build-up to last Wimbledon. The Scottish capital is followed by Sheffield (66% increase), and Glasgow, the birthplace of former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray (64% increase).

Seventy-two percent of the cities we looked at have seen an increase in interest since the same period leading up to the last Wimbledon tournament. Internal bookings data also reflects the rising tide of interest, with an uplift in bookings on the many Better tennis facilities despite a year of uncertainty. Booking data shows a 17.5% increase in tennis bookings between May 2020 – April 2021 compared to the previous year.

Better’s National Tennis & Specialist Sport Manager, Joachim Treasurer commented on the rise in tennis demand and the future of grassroots tennis ahead of Wimbledon:

“The fact that outdoor tennis was one of the first activities to be allowed after lockdown saw a real boost to the sport, and with lots of people working from home or on furlough, the uptake of off-peak times soared as they had much more flexibility in their day.”

Whether you’re near Manchester, London, Nottingham or Newport, with 10 indoor tennis centres, 4 outdoor hubs and over 240 courts across the UK, you can get involved on a Better tennis facility near you at any time. Find your nearest tennis court and replicate the likes of Roger Federer and Andy Murray during the great tournament now!