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Clearinghouse for Sport
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Tennis

A racket sport played on a rectangle court where competitors hit a ball over a net.

Previously referred to as lawn tennis, tennis was a game played within the colonies and was a popular sport within Australia by the mid-1870s.

The Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia was formed in 1904 to oversee tennis in six Australian states and New Zealand. 1,3,4

Discover more about tennis through the Clearinghouse evidence base:

Evolution:

  • The Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia [1904-1926]
  • Lawn Tennis Association of Australia [1926-2007]
  • Tennis Australia [1986-]

Participation

An estimated 1,127,500 Australians [aged 15+] participated in tennis at least once in 2024. 2

An estimated 183,500 Australian children [aged 0-14] participated in tennis at least once in 2024. 2

An estimated 476,000 Australian women [aged 15+] and an estimated 647,500 Australian men [aged 15+] participated in tennis at least once in 2024. 2

Explore further participation statistics for tennis through the AusPlay online portal., opens in a new tab

Governing body

Tennis Australia, opens in a new tab is an organisation recognised by government at all levels as the National controlling body for the sport of tennis in Australia.

The creation of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia allowed Australasia to participate in Davis Cup competitions and for Australia to host the region's Championship, which became what is now known as the Australian Open.

The Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia was renamed to the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia in 1926. During 1986, Tennis Australia was adopted as a trading name before formally becoming the organisation's name in 2007.1,5  

REFERENCES
  1. Fast facts, opens in a new tab, Australian Open, (accessed 9 January 2026)
  2. AusPlay Data Portal: Participation by activity, opens in a new tab, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 15 October 2025)
  3. A History of Australian Tennis, opens in a new tab, Google Arts & Culture/Tennis Australia, (accessed 9 January 2026)
  4. Occasional Paper 177: Australia’s First Tennis Match, opens in a new tab, Naval Historical Society of Australia, (1 January 2024)
  5. Annual Reports, Tennis Australia.

Documents

The Clearinghouse for Sport has sought permission from relevant organisations for the inclusion of their documents in this archive. Copyright ownership remains vested with the organisation and as such permission from the copyright owner should be sought if you wish to communicate, adapt or reproduce these documents.

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