You can’t help but think about tennis all the time; it’s not Zendaya’s fault.

Tennis may have come to the fore thanks to her captivating performance in the film “Challengers,” which is about a ménage à trois with tennis playing a supporting role. However, in recent years, tennis has grown so much in popularity that it is now difficult to ignore.

With its top stars starring in high-end fashion ads for brands like Louis Vuitton and Loewe and appearing on the cover of Vogue, the sport is booming on a worldwide scale. Naturally, there is the TikTok angle, with the emergence of #tenniscore videos receiving tens of millions of views, and yes, even that strange movie that topped the box office during its first weekend of release.

Perhaps as evidence that tennis is actually a draw once again in a world full of megawatt sports stars, ESPN went with tennis and selected 23-time grand slam winner Serena Williams to host this year’s ESPY Awards, which air on ABC in July.

The 1970s and 1980s saw the height of tennis’ popularity, but a comeback started during COVID-19 because it was one of the few games people could play securely while isolating themselves from others. Since then, its fame has only increased due to a rotation of elite players who draw attention from the public and business interests such as Hollywood and fashion, which is creating a boom.

Not only are they observing, but they’re also using the courts. According to the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the number of tennis players has increased over the past four years to around 24 million.