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One sure sign that summer is on its way is that tennis courts are busy again all over the country.

In fact, this is Tennis Month, promoting the fun and health benefits of the game.

The observance is sponsored by the United States Tennis Association, founded in 1881 to promote the growth of tennis and the largest such organization in the world.

The USTA has over 700,000 individual members, as well as 7,000 member organizations.

Tennis is played by more than 11 million Americans, and professional matches are attended by over 6 million fans each year — with millions more watching on television. Each year tennis players spend more than $400 million on their equipment.

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