A ball you can hear
A larger foam ball rattles every time it moves, so players track it by sound.
United States Blind Tennis Association
Tennis you can hear, feel, and play.
We make tennis accessible to blind and low vision (BLV) players across the United States, with clinics, coach training, research, and a national championship.
The game
Built for players who use sound and touch
Blind tennis keeps the speed and strategy of the original game and changes the equipment and court so players can follow the ball by ear and find the lines with their feet and hands.
Lines you can feel
Raised, tactile court lines help players find where they are on the court.
An adapted court
A lower net and a smaller court, with extra bounces allowed based on each player’s classification.
A global sport, growing here at home
- 1984
- Blind tennis is invented in Japan by Miyoshi Takei.
- 2014
- The International Blind Tennis Association forms to govern the sport.
- 2022
- The USBTA is founded to bring BLV tennis into the mainstream in the U.S.
Featured event
Blind and Low Vision National Championship
Tournament plus Athlete and Coach Clinic. Open to adults who are blind or have low vision, in classifications B1, B2, and B3.
This event has concluded. Thank you to every player, coach, and volunteer. Next year’s dates will be posted here. Contact us to be notified.
Our mission
Educate. Grow. Include.
Our mission is to educate and grow blind and low vision tennis across the United States.
We partner with the USTA nationally and locally to open tennis to an underrepresented community. We have run trainings and programs in several states, conduct research, and have received local and national awards.
For players
Clinics and tournaments for adults in the B1, B2, and B3 classifications.
For coaches
Training that helps coaches and clubs welcome BLV athletes.
In the news
Latest news
NY Times: They’re Losing Their Vision. They Still Love Playing Tennis. (external site)
The New York Times profiles blind and low vision players and the growing sport of blind tennis.
USBTA announces new Executive Board and at-large appointments (external site)
The association welcomed a new Executive Board to lead its next phase of growth.
Bring blind tennis to your community
Clubs, schools, coaches, and sponsors: we would love to partner with you to grow BLV tennis across the United States.