I first visited Forever Tennis last summer, when after a 20 year hiatus, I decided to start playing again. Thanks to their excellent customer service and knowledge, I've saved time and money in the process of getting not only myself back into tennis, but getting my child off to a good start as well. If you are new to tennis, or new to STL tennis, please do yourself a favor and visit the shop. Travis and his staff can help you get into the information flow for all things tennis (and Pickleball and platform tennis) in the STL/Metro-East region; if by chance they don't know the answer to something about tennis in the region, they will know the person who does.
The demo program at Forever Tennis is a huge boon for STL: it is organized (meaning they have the demo racquets available, or will have them in a timely fashion if specific models happen to be out at the time); it is the largest program in the area - both in variety of racquet makers they carry (at last count, this includes Babolat, Dunlop Srixon, Head, Technifibre, Volkl, Wilson, Yonex), as well as the selection of models from those racquet makers; and, all of the demo racquets are well-maintained.
Racquet pricing is competitive with all online retailers - the difference being that if you want to demo racquets, you won't have to deal with shipping those you dislike back to the retailer and waiting for the next to arrive, and you can ask a knowledgeable salesperson your questions to help find the best racquet for you or your child. (The $25 demo fee goes toward the cost of the racquet purchase.) Additionally, they carry junior racquets, as well as some previously used racquets.
Stringing...oh, how I love the stringers at Forever Tennis! Not only are they the only stringers open seven days a week, but they are fast (guaranteed to have your racquet(s) back to you in 24 hrs or less), fantastic, and knowledgeable in their stringing. (They carry a dizzying array of strings from which to choose.) And, labor is free for every 6th racquet strung with their punch card program!
Much like their racquets and strings, Forever Tennis also seems to have the largest selection of apparel and shoes (and respective sizes in both). Also, while a lot of shops I've visited seem to keep old inventory hanging around for years, Forever Tennis is constantly getting new items in stock. If by chance they do not have a size, I've never waited more than a few days for my desired item to arrive (and had the opportunity to try it on so that I could decide whether I liked it before purchasing). They are by far the largest Nike retailer in STL, but also carry the niche apparel brands (e.g., Lucky in Love, Sofiabella, Denise Cronwall, Tasc, Bolle, etc.) as well. And of course, they have all kinds of racquet and apparel accessories, too.
What really sets the store in a league of its own, though, is the customer service. For example, should Forever Tennis not carry something you desire, they do whatever they can to get the item for you (on my first visit to the store, I asked about a Nike wrist wrap - the next time I came to the store, it was stocked.) I always feel like I have gotten the best deal possible on my (many ) purchases, and have yet to make one that I regret. Not only is it clear that the staff aims to please customers, it is just as clear that all of the employees who work there truly love tennis and want to foster that love for others who play - and maybe especially for those who are just beginning to play or coming back to the game! read more
