After 17 years, tennis is now back as Australia's favourite sport.According to the latest '07/08 edition of the Sweeney Sports Report, 57% of Australians in the major capital cities are interested in tennis, followed by swimming (55%) and cricket (53%).
Sweeney general manager Todd Deacon said tennis has become more popular despite the lack of any Australians in the top 10 largely due to savvy marketing by local administrators and because spectators often followed the fortunes of a favourite player regardless of nationality.
"They attract the world's top players to the lead-up events to the Australian Open; the likes of the Sydney International and the Kooyong Classic; and people want to see them," he said.
Deacon said tennis was also popular with women; 60 percent were interested in the sport compared to 40 percent for cricket.
(Image by GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)
