Warning - fraudulent company. Please take your business elsewhere. I found TenniswithD on Yelp and reached out via email. Danai responded promptly, and we scheduled a phone call. He told me he runs a business with a few other tennis coaches; he said they have a group of students they work with consistently and often have social get-togethers - I've come to realize none of this is true.  Danai employs college students to provide tennis lessons. I signed up for a package of five lessons; after receiving three, I was told my instructor had a summer internship and was no longer available. It took weeks for Danai to connect me with another coach, and when I checked in, he'd respond with passive-aggressive notes that I needed to "be patient." When he finally found another instructor, he provided the incorrect information to the new instructor, and they didn't show up to the lesson.  I asked for a refund, which Danai said he would honor. It's been over three weeks, and I'm still waiting to receive the refund; each time I check in, I'm told he will get to it. Please do your research before reaching out to this company, you'll find they have no employees, and their website is often down. This is a poorly run, terribly unprofessional business, and I hope my review stops others from being scammed and wasting their time and money. read more

Danai will definitely get busy fast in Orange County! Welcome to California. "Preaching to to the choir" epitomizes my wife and I. We are weekend warriors and have taken many tennis lessons and clinics. I have heard it all but I have never had my game broken down so articulately and with clarity. I took advantage of the trial private lesson, I figured why not get a good hit at the very least. I got way more than I bargained. He was able to sniff out life long bad habits and draw out suggestions on the way "back". Unfortunately I am way inland. And also his price tag might be a bit higher than I am used to but I will definitely come in for that occassional fix and take issues to fix to my coach. I would have liked to get this level of coaching as a kid... the story is his business is finding a new home here. Goodluck and hope you find a welcoming venue for your operation here. I am sending the usual suspects in my circles so you do not leave us! read more

Great coach who knows his skills and can adapt the lesson to your needs. He is easy to understand and work with. His prices are way too high for the quality courts you play on in downtown Chicago. I play all over the world and he charges 88 dollars an hour way too much!!! read more

Taking tennis lessons with D is not only educational (he's a stickler on form) but is also really fun. He interjects his feedback with a touch of humor and compliments so you are always encouraged to keep at it! Besides that his prices are so much lower than what I found at other facilities in the chicagoland area. Love playing outdoors and he's very flexible with schedule changes which is perfect for someone like me who can't always commit to the same day/time. read more

I highly recommend Danai, both for his professionalism and skills. I am a former tennis instructor myself, so I have high standards for anyone that gives me lessons. Danai is very talented and knowledgeable about the game. He is clear with his instruction and knows how to convey concepts related to movement and strokes, easily to me. He can also demonstrate each skill proficiently. He mixes up lessons well, with a nice combination of drilling and hitting/playing. He is extraordinarily consistent and a great hitting partner. Plus, his rates are affordable, his schedule is flexible, and he is excellent with communication - often responding to my emails so fast that I have to wait to figure out my schedule until I can reply back to him. We worked specifically on my serve and backhand volley. After just several minutes of instruction on the backhand volley, we were ready to move on, b/c I was able to improve it significantly and I felt confident in the changes. We then worked on my serve, when he was able to deconstruct my stroke and help me build a new, better serve. It's definitely not easy to change a stroke, but he was very helpful, patient, and knowledgeable throughout the process. Last thing, and this is true: I've only won one tournament in my life. (I am a 4.0-4.5 player.) And, the tournament I won was in the middle of receiving lessons from Danai. I do NOT think that is a coincidence; I really think he helped propel my game to the next level! I'm returning to him this season for lessons b/c I need a refresher. His package deals are unbeatable. Overall, I recommend him for a comprehensive and affordable tennis lesson package. read more

Danai is very patient, funny, and talented! I participated in a small group tennis lesson for 8 weeks and feel like I came a VERY LONG way in my skills. It will be fun to take lessons again next year. He was full of compliments and gave specific things to work on; he was great explaining what he means to make you a better player. I'm a fan and highly recommend him as a coach! read more

I live very close to UIC so I play tennis there often. I have seen Danai teach lessons here often. So, one day, I decided to give Danai a call and see if he'd be interested in helping me out. He did not immediately return my call, so I had to call him again. So that was annoying that he did not return my call, and I had to call him back. During the lesson, I saw Danai playing with his cell phone (answering calls, texting). I mean that is just wrong -- I paid him money to teach me a lesson and now I see him playing with his cell phone DURING THE LESSON!!! Last thing is - Danai is from Zimbabwe and sometimes, it is difficult to understand him because of his accent. This is not a problem most of the time but something you should know before you sign up for his lessons (Buyer Beware sorta thing). read more

I first found Danai on Craigslist, we emailed a couple of times and I made a date for our first lesson. Because we were just emailing, and he has a unique name, I thought he was going to be a woman. I showed up to find this very hip, cute, young guy and I was immediately intimidated. I had nothing to worry about though, because Danai is just about the sweetest guy you could hope to meet and easily breaks the ice with his friendly, relaxed nature. I took about 5 lessons with him and my tennis game improved a lot. He was a great teacher, really patient but also pushes you to do your best. Like a chump, I quit taking lessons and haven't played much tennis in awhile, but If I ever go back to it, I'll call Danai for sure. read more

So I'm currently taking tennis lessons from Danai with my parents and my fiance once a week, and I gotta say I'm surprised at how good he is at handling all of us with us being on such different levels. My parents used to play, but are now well into their 60's and are kinda slow (sorry parents), I used to take lessons back in junior high and can hold my own, and my fiance has never played before. Somehow Danai finds a way to make the lessons fun and challenging for us all. read more

I've been taking private lessons with D for the last month or so. It's been a great experience so far for someone like me who is just picking up the game and has never had a lesson. D is very patient and makes sure to enforce the proper technique over and over again until it becomes natural and second-nature. I can already see the improvement in my forehand and backhand. Scheduling sessions is very flexible and D offers a round-robin tournament where he matches you against students of a similar skill level. I think prices are very reasonable compared to alternatives in the area. read more

Very professional and affordable! Also very easy to schedule last minute and accommodating. Me and my boyfriend are two very different levels and we were still able to do lessons together without a glitch. Great coach and enjoyable to work with read more

I was looking for a teacher with a flexible schedule and didn't want to go through all the drama of joining midtown. D was the perfect solution. We confirm week to week and meet at Roosevelt Park to play. Paying is easy on his website. Plus, I really value supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs. He has plenty of experience and knows the game, and most importantly, how to help you understand it. His knowledgeable and direct yet positive coaching style has benefited me immensely so far. I'm improving and He challenges you in just the right way to help you get better. I recommend giving him a try, you won't regret it. read more

Danai is a great tennis coach! He is a fixture at the park I walked my dog at and is always very friendly so I knew who to go to when I needed some lessons. Three friends and I did a series of group lessons with him and although our levels ranged a bit he was able to tailor the instruction so that we all got learnings out of it. I also had a private session with him which I found to be very helpful in working on specific issues. He has a great attitude and is fun to be around. Be ready for a workout! I'm looking forward to taking more lessons next spring. read more

I started taking lessons with Danai last summer. I had been playing off-and-on for a few summers, without any formal instruction before Danai. Danai is a great coach - patient, fun, and very perceptive about your ability. I improved greatly in just a few lessons. Danai is also each to reach, & will work around your schedule to make lesson time. I highly recommend taking individual lessons with Danai, because you will have an opportunity to hit a lot of balls, and receive attentive instruction. After an hour lesson, not only do you learn a lot about tennis, you get a great workout. read more

If you are looking for a tennis coach who helps you improve with the fastest way, Danai is a right coach for you. I started tennis a few weeks ago and like his tennis lessons because I can feel my tennis skills have been improved really fast. \Also, he is really easy to talk and has a sense of humor so, he won't make the lesson loose or boring. read more

Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions. Danai seemed pretty knowledgeable about tennis and I do appreciate that, but come on man, if you're gonna be some kind of tennis coach for the masses then at least be there on time. Danai was twenty minutes late to the lesson, looked at me up and down, assumed that I was a beginner, and then proceeded to give a very rudimentary tennis lesson that was kind of insulting. I had told him before that I had been playing for the past two years and there are specific areas of my game that I wanted to focus on. But he wasn't having it. I don't know I didn't like his condescending style. It was like he was threatened by anybody that wasn't a complete noob to the game. However, I will say this again, he did seem pretty knowledgeable about the game and to his credit would probably be a good coach for someone just picking up a racquet for the first time, but showing up late and not really getting any insight really got me thinking that I wasted a good hour for nothing. Sorry man you snooze, you lose. read more

I had a great lesson with Danai. He was quick to figure out what I was doing wrong with my forehand, and the pointers he gave me were super helpful and clear. I felt myself improving immediately. And overall he is just a friendly guy. I would recommend his lessons! read more

I was skeptical about finding a good coach on Craigslist but was lucky enough to find Tennis with D. Danai is a fantastic coach! Not only has my game improved tremendously, but I lost a few pounds and found a great cardio workout that i love! I'm just a beginner but I plan on taking lessons every summer. Danai is really great at developing your skills and really helping you improve, and still makes it enjoyable and fun! read more

Danai is an amazing tennis coach. I hadn't picked up a racket in nearly 10 years when I started doing lessons with Danai. That was a year ago. After a year with Danai, I am a much better tennis player than I ever was when I was a kid. I took years of lessons as a kid and I didn't learn many of the things that Danai has taught me. I have done private lessons with him on a weekly basis and hitting lessons with the more junior coaches during the summer. I highly recommend him for kids and adults wishing to become great tennis players. read more

I had ten semi private (2ppl) lessons with D over the past summer. He is a great coach and I like his teaching style. He uses a lot of analogy when answering my questions and I find his instruction easy to understand. I asked him to go through the basics slowly so we mainly covered forehand and backhand in the first six or seven lessons. It pays off. Most people I played tennis with couldn't believe that I only started this summer. (I do spent lot of time on court with my hitting partner outside classes. Tennis is a sport that you need both tons of practice and good coaching. Therefore, to make the most of his lessons you need to hit as many balls as possible outside classes.) Unfortunately, my hitting partner left Chicago so I have to stop lessons with D. Otherwise, I would definitely continue. read more

I happened upon Danai while I was waiting for my tennis partner to show up. I had no idea that would be such an auspicious day! I cannot say enough about Danai's incredible knowledge of this game. I was a D1 college player and I know what I'm doing on a tennis court so I feel I'm a pretty good judge. Not only is Danai a graceful, impressive, and crafty lefty he really knows how to impart knowledge to his students. I mean, there are a lot of great tennis players out there, and Danai is an incredible player, but most of them cannot teach someone else. Danai can work with players of all levels and he certainly provided me with exceptional tips. He knows a ton about technique and strategy, particularly court positioning, shot selection, and match play. He is also fun, funny, and highly intelligent so things never get boring. You get an incredible workout as well. He is going to make you work and push you to push yourself. You couldn't ask for a better tennis instructor! He re-inspired my love of this game and motivated me to get fitter and never give up on improving on my tennis. read more