Tennis Zone History

In the beginning there was... table tennis

In the 1990s, table tennis was very popular in Poland. The eldest of the Sylwestrzak brothers, Sławek, practised it intensively.

One day, during a break of an important match, he approached his coach and asked:

- What should I play?

- Change... – replies coach.

- But what to change? – further inquired Sławek.

- The sport discipline of course!

This story became one of the impulses for change. A few months later, Sławek was offered to manage the courts in one of Warsaw’s district. His younger brother Adam also took his first tennis steps on these courts.

The next period of their tennis activity was running tennis courts and training new tennis students. At this time the older brothers were joined by the youngest of the three, Krzysztof, who was the last to abandon a career in table tennis...

2003

Beginnings of commercial activity

At the beginning of the 21st century, tennis in Poland was not a very popular sport. As the result the market for tennis equipment was just beginning to develop. The small shop operated next to the courts and did not yet have its own name. It was a testing ground.

I remember the first natural string which was brought by a Frenchman playing in a tournament on courts nearby. After many attempts we managed to complete the service, but the look on the client's face and the Frenchman's words "oh, la la" showed that there was still a lot to learn - recalls Sławek.

2006

The shop got its name: "Strefa Tenisa"

The name’s creator was Adam. Sławek suggested another name: "Tennis-Zone" - which, as it turned out, was used many years later…

2007

Stationary store at well-known tennis club

- . It was a very prestigious location. A legendary club with tennis traditions. Those were still the days when running a tennis store had to be combined with other activities that allowed us to function normally. I remember Adam running tennis classes on the courts, and our dad helping us with customer service. He often called out asking for details about particular products. – recalls Krzysztof.

2009

The beginnings of the “strefatenisa.com.pl”

In the wave of increasing popularity of online stores, the next step was to initiate online sales.

I remember how we took pictures of the products for the online shop. We photographed each other in the clothes and shoes on offer - Sławek recalls.

The first order in the online shop was a big challenge at the time, because it involved shipping shorts to Italy.

We were terrified - laughs Adam. - First order and an international one at the same time!

2010

Establishing cooperation with Nike

“Strefa Tenisa”, as a specialized store, has established cooperation with Nike. It was not an easy task.

- It was a crucial moment for us. A small tennis shop and a global brand associated with the idols of modern tennis such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – says Krzysztof.

2012

Success of Polish tennis players fosters further development

"Strefa Tenisa" has grown not only by expanding its product range and seeking new customers, but also by popularizing tennis as a result of the successes of Polish tennis players.

- The number of customers in the stationary shop and orders in the online shop increased significantly – recalls Adam.

- This boosted our motivation to grow and we spent all the profit we made on further investments in the business. We were working seven days a week, 16 hours a day. We were basically competing who would work more – adds Sławek.

2016

One stationary store is not enough

Due to the large number of customers of the stationary store, it became necessary to find a new facility for a second outlet in Warsaw.

- We were looking for a facility at which there was a well-developed tennis club. I remembered a friend who owns the Silva club - a large object with a very good location. – says Sławek.

2018

Development of the online store

Transferring the store to the technologically advanced Shopware platform not only made it possible to create a modern site, but, above all, significantly accelerated the ability to serve online customers.

- The investment in a modern online store very quickly began to pay dividends. Well-known global brands willingly began to cooperate with us: Lacoste, EA7, Hydrogen or Björn Borg. – says Krzysztof.

2019

Cooperation with tennis clubs and organizations

The start of cooperation with the Polish Tennis Association has made “Strefa Tenisa” even more reputable among customers. The development of the marketing department made it possible to implement many initiatives by establishing contacts with clubs, tennis organizations, participating as a partner in tournaments, conferences and other events.

2020

Expanding activities to foreign markets

The market in Poland was becoming too small considering the dynamics with which "Strefa Tenisa" was growing. The next development step was to expand operations abroad. Within a short period of time, through selected partners, we opened online stores dedicated to specific markets under the name Tennis Zone in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria.

2021

Logistics center in Sękocin

A significant increase in the number of online orders and an increasing number of markets was the main factor for investing in a logistics center in Sękocin, near Warsaw. It is from here that packages are sent to most countries in Europe and other continents.

2022

Upgrading stationary stores

The drive for further growth has contributed to the modernization of stationary stores. The shopping and storage area has been increased, thus enhancing the shopping experience among customers.

2023

Introducing the “Strefa Padla”

- Monitoring the markets in various countries, we came to the conclusion that we would intensively develop our offer for padel products, a sport that is gaining popularity. And so the new domain “strefapadla.com.pl” was created.– says Krzysztof.

"Strefa Tenisa" was established as a family company, thanks to persistence, passion and enormous effort of first three, then as many as several dozen people. Thanks to these values "Strefa Tenisa" is now the largest tennis brand in Poland and this part of Europe.

We are convinced that this is only the beginning. We still have many dreams to fulfil and we are constantly looking for new goals.

Would you like to play with us?

Adam, Krzysztof, Sławek