We all know the feeling of stepping inside our local tennis shop. Drop off a racquet, maybe pick up a few grips or some balls, and just like that we’re on our way. It’s not really a place where we linger. However, a new pop-up space on Los Angeles’ east side from The Courts in Borrego Springs, I Love Tennis, puts a very different spin on the pro shop experience as we know it.

Inside, Wimbledon reruns play on an old JVC television. There’s a standings board, maps and pamphlets from Borrego Springs, and a cutout of The Courts stalwart Coach Jaroslav and a simple “I ❤ Tennis” sign out front. Come at the right time and you might find an art show, a watch party, or an unexpected collaboration. It’s giving third-space energy, and that’s largely the point.

Adil Dara and Leah Goren opened The Courts in 2018, creating a place where tennis is about more than just what happens on court. With The Courts shuttered during its summer offseason, Dara needed an L.A. office for his graphic design practice, so he brought a little piece of The Courts to the city. 

Part office, part clubhouse, the temporary space has become somewhere for L.A.’s tennis community to simply hang out. You’ll find The Courts’ very own thrifted finds, merch, tennis memorabilia, and, most important, all kinds of people brought together by a shared love of the game.

A recent collaboration with Dara’s good friend and Tennis T-Shirts founder Mike Cherman was a tennis enthusiast’s dream. During Wimbledon, I made it out to the shop to see it for myself, and it was easily one of the coolest tennis activations I’ve experienced in my decades in the sport. Visitors could customize their own pieces with tennis-inspired press-ons, including graphics pulled from moments unfolding at Wimbledon in real time. Roger Federer sitting alone in the Royal Box? Naturally, that one had to make it onto the tote I brought along.

“We work on other jobs that are a little more serious,” Dara says. “We just wanted this to be a purely joyous experience.”

The pop-up will be in L.A. through the end of September, with events and activations often coming together at the last minute. Before the duo head back to Borrego Springs for the fall season, Dara says more happenings are on the way as the US Open gets underway, so keep an eye on their Instagram. Or, as Dara puts it best: “Come hang when we’re open.”