Our story
A small French maison built around a stringing bench, a tight catalogue and a stubborn idea of what a club shop should feel like.
We began as the club shop of a tennis section, run by a couple of stringers on a single bench. The idea was simple: bring back the feel of walking up to a counter, asking for the right racquet, and being told the truth — only this time, with shipping to your door within 48 hours.
How it started
Courtalle grew out of frustration shared between two stringers who spent years working club bench shifts and watching players walk out with the wrong gear. Too much marketing in the buying process, not enough straight talk. A 110-square-inch tweener handed to a flat-hitting baseliner because it sat on the demo wall. A pair of clay outsoles sold for hard-court play because they were on promotion.
The fix was always the same — five minutes of honest conversation, a hand on the throat of the frame, a quick swing in front of a mirror. We rebuilt that conversation online. Every racquet has a swing weight, a stiffness rating, a player profile written by someone who has actually played with the frame. Every shoe has an outsole, a last shape and a court verdict. Nothing on the site exists because it sat well on a vendor catalogue.
Today we work directly with a small group of brands who share that approach — frames built for players rather than for shelf appeal, strings selected for cup of tension rather than for branding, bags rated by stringers because we have opened, closed and refilled them ten thousand times.
The bench today
We operate a calibrated stringing bench in a workshop above the original club shop. Restrings arrive Monday morning, ship out by Wednesday evening at the latest, strung on a pulled-tension machine logged by hand on every job. Tournament jobs run with a 24-hour express slot.
We deliberately keep the catalogue tight: a focused set of racquets, a short rack of shoes for hard, clay and padel, a string wall, the bags we trust to last, and the small accessories that actually make a difference on court. If a product is on the site, it is because at least two people on the bench will swing, run or carry it themselves.
Values
01
A bench, not a warehouse
Every restring is logged, tensioned and signed by a stringer. The bench is the centre of the maison — the shop wraps around it. If a job needs an extra check, it gets one before it ships.
02
Honest advice, no upsell
We will not sell a tournament frame to a club player, a clay-specific shoe to a hard-court regular, or a 6R bag to someone who carries two racquets. The right gear costs less than the wrong one — it just takes a real conversation.
03
A tight, trusted catalogue
No endless list. A focused selection of frames, shoes, strings, bags and accessories — chosen so that two players from the bench will already have hit, run or carried each of them on court.
From bench to court
Selection
Every product is tested by at least two players on the bench — different styles, different levels — before it gets a place on the catalogue. Frames are weighed, balanced and swung. Shoes are run on hard, clay and padel.
Stringing
Restrings are processed on a calibrated pulled-tension machine. We log tension, string set, pattern and player notes on every job, then double-check pattern alignment before the bag closes.
Packing
Frames ship in a thermo-lined sleeve, freshly strung and headcover-zipped. Shoes and bags go out in their original box, with a hand-written packing slip and a note from the stringer who finished the job.
After-sale
A 30-day fit window on shoes and grips. Free re-string within the first month if you change your mind on tension or string set. We answer every email within one working day — usually faster.
The team
HEAD STRINGER
[Team member — pending]
In charge of the stringing bench, tension QA and tournament express slots. Twenty years of club shop benches behind, from regional opens to ATP-level qualifiers.
RACQUET ADVISOR
[Team member — pending]
Handles racquet matching, grip sizing and player profiles. Former regional-level competitor and certified racquet technician. Spends Saturdays on court testing the new season.
OPERATIONS & PADEL
[Team member — pending]
Runs the workshop logistics, supplier relationships and padel range. Tests every padel frame on club courts before it goes on the catalogue.
Quick answers
Do you really restring within 48 hours?
Yes, with one exception: tournament express slots take 24 hours, standard restrings 48 hours from the moment your racquet reaches the workshop. We log the arrival on the bench and notify you on dispatch.
Can I ask for advice before buying a racquet?
Absolutely — that is the entire point of the maison. Write to the bench, tell us your level, your strokes and your current frame, and we will reply with two or three honest options. No upsell.
Do you ship outside France?
Yes — across the EU and into the UK and Switzerland. Tracked shipping with handover signature. Stringing service is available on incoming frames from anywhere in Europe.
Can I return a racquet if it does not suit me?
A frame can be returned unstrung within 14 days, or restrung free of charge once if you want to try a different string set. Shoes have a 30-day fit window with the box and tags intact.