When customers walk into Centre Court Tennis, they are greeted with a custom experience from the wide array of tennis apparel and equipment to the one-on-one interaction with owner Laura Hunter, who strives to serve the tennis community on and off the court.

"People who are part of the tennis community are very specific in what they want," Hunter said. "So it's great to be here to cater to their needs."

A resident of The Woodlands for 20 years, Hunter's inspiration to open the store sparked from her own difficulties trying to find tennis apparel for her and her daughter when they both began playing several years ago.

With encouragement from friends, family and local tennis players, Hunter opened Centre Court Tennis last November to offer more specialty tennis items and top performance gear to local players.

"After talking to many people in the community, I found out there was a strong demand for a store like this," Hunter said. "Since we've opened I think we fill that niche in the community, and we still get new customers every day so the feedback from everyone has been great."

The store, on Kuykendahl Road in The Woodlands Crossing shopping center, features several racks of colorful tennis wear and shoes for women, children and men. The store also carries a variety of specialty items, such as bags and backpacks, along with a selection of top-brand racquets such as Wilson, Dunlop and Babolat.

However, what sets Centre Court Tennis apart from other sporting goods stores is that customers are given the choice of customizing their own equipment.

Customers of any age can choose a racquet and strings based on weight and size and have the racquets strung to their specifications in the store for higher quality performance. Hunter also gives customers the opportunity to demo a racquet for a few days before buying it.

"Those are two things that really make us different from everyone else," Hunter said. "We are a store totally devoted to tennis with more variety. Other stores like Academy are not going to carry the more exclusive racquets or have the option of getting a custom racquet made."

Hunter said she has helped all types of customers find exactly what they need from a husband looking for a gift for his wife to children choosing their first racquets.

"It's great to be able to interact with customers and get to know the community," Hunter said. "I love that feeling when I help a woman pick out an outfit she loves or see when kids who are just starting out get excited about being involved in tennis."

It is that excitement that fuels Hunter to remain involved with local tennis leagues, school teams and country clubs with custom uniforms or gear and hosting team events.

"I just hope that by being here, we are getting the community excited about tennis again and to get back on the courts," Hunter said.

Centre Court services

In-store stringing: Players can select a racquet and strings based on their needs and have the racquets strung in the store with usually a one-day turnaround.

Demo: Players can also demo certain racquets for three to seven days for a flat rate ($5 for three days and $10 for seven days) to test out a racquet on the court before buying it. Once someone decides to buy, they get the $5 or $10 taken off the price of the racquet.

Centre Court products

Centre Court Tennis offers special tote bags for tennis gear with a variety of brands, including Court Couture, JetPac, Ame & Lulu, Maggie Mather and Glove It.

Gift and novelty items available at Centre Court include picture frames, mugs, pens, cups and tennis T-shirts.

Tennis equipment offered at Centre Court includes name brands, such as Penn, Wilson, Dunlop, Babolat and Head.

Tennis courts in

The Woodlands

22 courts in the Village of Cochran's

Crossing

10 courts in the Village of Alden Bridge

8 courts in the Village of Grogan's Mill

8 courts in the Village of Sterling Ridge

7 courts in the Village of Panther Creek

4 courts in the Village of Indian Springs

4 courts in the Village of College Park

4 courts in the Village of Creekside Park

Centre Court Tennis, 10700 Kuykendahl Road, Ste. B, The Woodlands 281-719-5379, www.centrecourt-tennis.com