​Capital Tennis & Pickleball

What ​Capital Tennis & Pickleball does

Capital Tennis & Pickleball is a privately held, founder-operated specialty retailer and racket-services business headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Founded around 2014 by USRSA-certified racket technicians Steven and Pete — collectively bringing over 60 years of tennis experience and over 50 years of stringing experience — the company was originally established as Capital Tennis & Stringing, a premium racket stringing service in Northern Virginia. In 2024 the company rebranded to Capital Tennis & Pickleball and broadened its offering to include tennis rackets, pickleball paddles, shoes, apparel, and accessories alongside its core stringing services.

The core service is professional racket stringing backed by a curated inventory of more than 150 string types from manufacturers including Solinco, Luxilon, Gamma, Tecnifibre, Babolat, Wilson, Head, and Kirschbaum. Stringing is offered in three tiers — Traditional (drop-off/pickup), Blend (drop-off with delivery), and Premium (door-to-door pickup and delivery) — with prices ranging from $20 to $108 depending on string material and service level. The company also runs a racket and paddle demo program, two loyalty programs (a String-10-Get-1-Free credit scheme and a tiered points system), and a free tennis-ball recycling initiative in partnership with RecycleBalls. Physical operations span two retail storefronts (Arlington Courthouse and Falls Church-Merrifield) and UPS Store drop-off partnerships in Arlington, Washington DC, and Greenbelt, MD.

The business model is direct-to-consumer and transactional, with revenue generated through per-unit stringing fees, hardware sales (rackets, paddles, shoes, apparel, and accessories), and add-on services (overgrips, replacement grips, vibration dampeners, lead tape, grommets, bumper guards). Go-to-market is regional, targeting recreational and competitive tennis and pickleball players in Northern Virginia, DC, and parts of Maryland via community event presence (USTA, ACTA), team and league outreach, social media, and word-of-mouth referrals. The company is bootstrapped, has 1-10 employees, and discloses no institutional funding, positioning it as a small but operationally specialized regional player.

Name

​Capital Tennis & Pickleball

Legal name

Capital Tennis & Stringing, LLC

Website

https://capitalstringing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Capital Tennis & Pickleball is a founder-owned Arlington, VA-based specialty retailer offering professional tennis and pickleball racket stringing (150+ string types) alongside retail sales of rackets, paddles, shoes, and apparel, serving recreational and competitive players in Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland through storefronts, UPS drop-off partnerships, and a premium pickup/delivery service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tennis and Pickleball Equipment Retail & Stringing Services

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

akta.pro primary industry

Racquet Sports (Tennis/Pickleball/Badminton/Squash) Retail (CRAMABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Racquet Stringing, Grips & Customization Supplies Retail (CRAMAFAF)

Keywords

• Professional racket stringing
• Tennis equipment retail
• Pickleball paddle sales
• Racket service pickup delivery
• Sporting goods store

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Racket Stringing Services: Core revenue stream from professional racket stringing with three service tiers: Premium (pickup and delivery), Blend (drop-off with delivery), and Traditional (drop-off and pickup). Prices range from $20-$108 per restringing depending on string type and service level.
2. Retail Gear Sales: Sales of tennis rackets, pickleball paddles, shoes, apparel, and accessories. Demo program charges $25 for 3 rackets for 3 days, credited toward purchase.
3. Stringing Accessories and Add-ons: Additional revenue from overgrips ($5), replacement grips ($15), balls, vibration dampeners ($3), lead tape ($10), grommets ($20), and bumper guard tape ($4).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Capital Tennis & Pickleball provides professional racket stringing services for tennis and pickleball paddles using USRSA-certified technicians and an inventory of 150+ string types from brands such as Solinco, Luxilon, Gamma, Tecnifibre, Babolat, Wilson, Head, and Kirschbaum. The company offers three stringing service tiers (Premium pickup-and-delivery, Blend drop-off-with-delivery, and Traditional drop-off-and-pickup), retails tennis rackets, pickleball paddles, shoes, apparel, and accessories from authorized brands (Yonex, Prince, Wilson, Babolat, Head, Tecnifibre), and operates two retail showrooms in Arlington and Falls Church plus multiple drop-off locations across the Washington D.C. metro area.

Product overview

Capital Tennis & Pickleball operates as a specialized retail and service business offering tennis and pickleball equipment alongside professional stringing services. The core offering centers on premium racket stringing (with over 150 string types in stock) complemented by a retail store selling rackets, paddles, shoes, and accessories from major brands including Wilson, Babolat, Head, Prince, Tecnifibre, Yonex, Nike, and Adidas. The company provides three distinct service tiers: Premium pickup/delivery service, Traditional drop-off/pickup, and a Blend service combining drop-off with delivery. Additional offerings include a racket demo program, loyalty rewards programs (string 10 get 1 free, plus points-based system), and a free tennis ball recycling initiative in partnership with RecycleBalls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tennis Racket Stringing Service Professional tennis racket stringing using USRSA-certified technicians and over 150 string types in stock from Solinco, Luxilon, Gamma, Tecnifibre, Babolat, Wilson, Head, Kirschbaum, and others. Three service tiers: Traditional drop-off/pickup ($20-$41), Blend drop-off with delivery ($44-$61), and Premium pickup and delivery ($54-$71), plus a string-while-you-wait expedited option. Available for tennis players across Northern Virginia and parts of Washington D.C.
• Pickleball Paddle Stringing Service Professional stringing services for pickleball paddles, utilizing the same premium materials and USRSA-certified expertise as the tennis stringing operation. Available through the same three service tiers and turnaround options.
• Racket and Paddle Demo Program Try-before-buy demo program where customers can test tennis rackets and pickleball paddles for 3 days; demo fees ($25 for up to 3 rackets/paddles) are credited toward the purchase of a racket or paddle from the store.
• Tennis Rackets (Retail) Retail sale of tennis rackets from Wilson, Babolat, Head, Prince, Tecnifibre, and Yonex, including availability of special orders. Available at the Arlington retail store and through the demo program.
• Pickleball Paddles (Retail) Retail sale of pickleball paddles available for demo and purchase, supporting the company's strategic focus on the pickleball segment in the DC metro area.
• Tennis Shoes and Apparel (Retail) Retail sale of tennis footwear and clothing from Nike, Adidas, Asics, New Balance, K-Swiss, Wilson, Lacoste, and Babolat, available at the Arlington retail location.
• Tennis Accessories (Retail) Retail sale of on-court and off-court accessories including replacement grips ($15), overgrips ($5), tennis balls (Wilson U.S. Open, Babolat Gold), vibration dampeners ($3), lead tape ($10), grommets ($20), bumper guard protector tape ($4), hats, and bags.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• YonexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCapital Stringing is an authorized Yonex dealer. Yonex manufactures rackets, bags, balls, hats and accessories.
• TecnifibrecoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal manufacturer of rackets, strings, bags, and accessories. Tecnifibre Black Code polyester string is one of the founders' personal favorites.
• PrincecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCapital Stringing is an authorized Prince dealer. Prince manufactures rackets, bags, balls, hats and accessories.
• Dunlop SportminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDunlop Sport manufactures rackets, bags, balls, strings, hats and accessories. Featured in hybrid string combinations.
• GAMMA SportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading string manufacturer that also sells rackets, bags, balls, and apparel. Gamma Moto and Glide strings featured in hybrid combinations.
• KirschbaumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorString manufacturer focusing almost exclusively on strings. Kirschbaum Touch multifilament competes with Wilson NXT and Babolat Xcel.
• RecycleBallsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization that recycles tennis balls. Capital Tennis & Pickleball offers free tennis ball recycling for customers - customers bring old balls to shop and company sends them to RecycleBalls.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Holabird Sports: A Maryland-based tennis specialty retailer with deep racket and string selection and competitive stringing services. Direct overlap with Capital Tennis's DC-metro market, particularly for Maryland-based customers who cannot use Capital's premium delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Tecnifibre: Global racket, string, and accessory manufacturer identified as a core partner and a personal favorite of the founders. Comparable on the basis of overlapping premium string and racket portfolios and the co-marketing relationship.
• Pickleball Central: The dominant US pickleball specialist retailer, selling paddles, balls, and accessories online at scale. Direct overlap with Capital Tennis's 2024 pickleball paddle retail push, with substantially broader product depth and national reach.
• GAMMA Sports: Leading string and paddle manufacturer (including pickleball). Comparable as both a strategic partner Capital Tennis recommends in hybrid stringings and a brand whose retail products compete in-store with Capital Tennis's own paddle and string selection.
• Yonex: Global racket, string, and equipment manufacturer that supplies Capital Tennis as an authorized dealer. Included as a peer because its brand presence and authorized-dealer network define the competitive product set Capital Tennis sells and strings against.
• Tennis Warehouse: The largest US online tennis specialty retailer, selling rackets, strings, shoes, and apparel and offering a mail-in stringing service. It competes with Capital Tennis for racket and string sales nationally and for mail-in stringing customers who might otherwise use a local premium service.
• Prince Tennis: Major racket and string manufacturer, a 'core' brand partner of Capital Tennis. Comparable because Capital operates inside the Prince authorized-dealer ecosystem and competes for the same end-buyer at the local level.
• Dick's Sporting Goods: National sporting goods chain carrying tennis rackets, pickleball paddles, apparel, and shoes. While not a stringing specialist, it competes for retail equipment baskets and showroom-adjacent customers in the DC metro area.

Emerging players

• Stringer Network / Stringers United: The USRSA (United States Racquet Stringers Association) network connecting independent certified stringers nationwide. Comparable because it represents the broader community of USRSA-certified technicians Capital's founders belong to, which is also a pipeline of potential competing local stringers.

Regional players

• Mid-Atlantic Tennis Center: Regional tennis club and pro shop operating in the DC metro area, offering stringing, lessons, and equipment. Comparable because it serves overlapping DC-area customer segments and competes directly for tennis league and recreational player revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CapitalStringing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ​Capital Tennis & Pickleball