New National Report Examines Why Women Coaches Tap Out of Tennis

By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Photo credit: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA

Declining opportunities to advance in coaching, rather than expanding family obligations, is a man cause of women coaching leaving tennis.

A new national report from USTA Coaching and Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport concludes that work-place challenges—concerns over fair pay, equitable environments and opportunity to advance—prompt more women coaches to tap out of tennis than personal choice.

You can read the full report Women in Coaching: A Cross-Sport Collaboration, at USTACoaching.com.

Here are some key findings from the report:

●      Insufficient pay, not caregiving, is the number one reason women collegiate coaches decline job offers, directly challenging long-standing narratives about family being the primary driver of attrition.
●      Women who perceive unequal pay, limited benefits, and restricted advancement opportunities report significantly lower job satisfaction and a higher likelihood of leaving within 12 months – a costly outcome for organizations seeking continuity and competitive stability.
●      Persistent “blame the women” narratives—such as “women don’t apply” or “women lack confidence”—continue to obscure systemic barriers at societal, organizational and interpersonal levels, allowing institutions to avoid accountability for structural reform.
●      Basic professional infrastructure, including access to facilities, locker rooms, lactation space, and properly designed uniforms, directly affects performance, authority and retention, reinforcing whether women are treated as integral leaders or afterthoughts.

The findings from the report were “informed in part by discussions at a cross-sport working summit held during the 2025 US Open,” USTA Coaching said in a statement.

On August 26th, 2025, the USTA convened several professional women’s coaches from a variety of different sports at the US Open. The panel discussed some of the most significant challenges women coaches face to remain coaching.

USTA Coaching Managing Director Megan Rose said retaining women coaches in the sport is vital to growth.

“Coaching is more complex and demanding than ever,” said Megan Rose, Managing Director and Head of Business Development & Operations for USTA Coaching. “If sport organizations want stability and innovation, they must address how coaching roles are structured and supported, not just how many women enter the pipeline.

“Recruitment without retention is not progress.”
Here’s how USTA Coaching aims to address the issue, according to their mission statement in the news release:

USTA Coaching is already advancing many of these principles. Launched as a national platform to modernize coach education and professionalize coaching pathways, USTA Coaching provides flexible certification models, tiered development opportunities and structured support designed to strengthen access and retention.
Earlier this year, USTA Coaching introduced its inaugural Women in Coaching Cohort, a 10-month national leadership experience for 25 diverse women coaches across the tennis ecosystem. The program focuses on leadership development, financial literacy and career longevity – areas identified in the report as critical to sustaining women’s careers.
“The time for performative support has passed,” added Rose. “Sustaining women in coaching requires structural change, from pay equity and facilities to work culture and advancement. The future of sport depends on who we retain, not just who we recruit.”