Total wholesale racquet unit sales into the U.S. market grew by over 11 percent in the first three months of the year compared to Q1 2021, according to a report from Sports Marketing Surveys*. This marks the largest Q1 total since 2010.
At the same time, average racquet prices jumped to record levels of $43.80. This, combined with growth in unit sales, contributed to the highest total dollar value of racquets shipped on record.
The growth comes following 2021 which saw $122 million dollars in full-year racquet sales, the highest number to date.
Prices of balls have also risen, with all three categories of balls with the highest average price on record.
Sports Marketing Surveys said that higher wholesale price of racquets and balls puts pressure on retailers to pass on cost increases to consumers; however, its survey’s retail audit of the tennis industry showed that sell-through prices are increasing but that the rise has not dampened U.S. consumer’s interest for the category. Retail sales of racquets were at the highest level since 2012 in Q1 2022, while the dollar value of those sales was almost $23 million, the highest Q1 total ever.
Adam Hile, who leads the tennis shipment program for Sports Marketing Surveys, said, “The average price of racquets has been suppressed in the industry for some time. In fact, compared to other sports, and given the amount of R&D that goes into racquet technology advances, tennis products have arguably been underpriced. Finding an equitable way to raise prices to more competitive levels while also supporting the growth and accessibility of tennis has been a chief concern for marketing teams across the industry. These results stand the industry in good stead for a challenging year.”
*The results come from the U.S Tennis wholesale shipment report prepared by Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS) on behalf of the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) and its members.
