June 25th to July 1st marked National Tennis Week, an annual celebration of the sport that takes place each year during the last week of June. First recognized in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford, the occasion is intended for tennis enthusiasts to come together, promote, and honor the game.
In the spirit of National Tennis Week, BetGeorgia.com paused on Georgia sports betting updates and conducted a study to determine which states in the U.S. harbor the greatest love for tennis. The analysis involved four factors, and a point system was devised to rank all 50 states accordingly.
America’s Most Tennis Loving States
The first two factors considered were the search engine interest in the terms "Tennis" and "Tennis Courts Near Me." Additionally, states received a bonus of 5 points for each city that ranked within the Top 25 of the highest number of players on the Global Tennis Network. Similarly, 5 points were awarded to states with a city listed in the Top 25 for the most tennis courts.
After weighing all these factors, here are the final results.
Georgia Lands in Top 5 Tennis-Loving States
According to our model, Georgia ranks out as the fourth most tennis-loving American state. In other words, if our rankings were a tournament, the Peach State would make it all the way to the semi-finals.
Atlanta is definitely the local tennis hub, with the capital ranking out inside the Top 25 of Global Tennis Network’s listings of cities with the most tennis courts, and the Top 25 of most active players.
It is also the host city of the Atlanta Open. The ATP 250 event, which is held each summer in the lead-up to the U.S. Open, was won in 2022 by Australian Alex de Minaur.
Alex de Minaur will return to defend his title at this year’s tournament, set to be held July 22-30. Among the other competitors are the world’s top-ranked American Taylor Fritz, Atlanta’s own Ben Shelton (just twenty years old), and six-time Atlanta Open winner John Isner.
Although born in neighboring North Carolina, Isner is well-known to locals. The former No. 1 overall-ranked tennis pro was a member of the University of Georgia tennis squad that won the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship in 2007.
For decades the Bulldogs have boasted one of the nation’s top collegiate tennis programs — capturing 5 total men’s championships, and 2 women’s titles. For their part, the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets also captured an NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship in 2007.
While there is no professional women’s tennis event in Georgia, there will be a female exhibition match held on July 27th during the Atlanta Open. Billed as The Sunday Showdown, the match will see Canadian Leylah Fernandez face off against the Atlanta-born super-star Coco Gauff.
One of the most exciting names in professional tennis, Gauff turned heads when she defeated Venus Williams in the opening round of Wimbledon at just fifteen years old. Now nineteen, Gauff already has 3 career singles titles and 8 doubles championships on the WTA Tour. She is currently the world’s 7th-ranked female tennis pro.
You can bet Georgia tennis fans will be watching the major odds for this young star. It’s only a matter of time until Coco Gauff captures her first grand slam. Don't worry, we will have information on all the best Georgia sportsbook apps expected to launch once they become legal.
Author
Jeff Parker is an entertainment writer for BetGeorgia.com. A writer for film, television and the internet, Jeff is a life long movie buff, with a Masters Degree in Popular Culture. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he works full time as documentary filmmaker and producer.
