How much does it cost to restring a tennis racket, and how long does it take?

In short: in Belgium, a typical restring (monofilament or multifilament) most often costs €20-30 all-in, according to the price lists published by Decathlon, Sportline and SmashPoint (as of early October 2026). The price has two components: the labour (€5 to €12 at Decathlon depending on the turnaround you choose) and the string itself, from €9 to €24 for a typical monofilament or multifilament and around €48 for natural gut. As for turnaround, you'll find 24 hours as a standard and express in 1 hour, but no common rule: it all depends on the shop and the time of year, especially the interclub season.

What the price of a restring covers

A restring has two components: the string itself (a set of about 12 m, enough for one racket) and the labour of the stringer fitting it. Shops don't all show the price the same way. Decathlon charges the labour alone: its page says service prices “do not include the cost of spare parts” (translated from French), and strings are sold separately. Sportline, by contrast, shows all-in prices and states that they include €12 of labour. To compare two shops, the first question is always the same: is the string included in that price?

To see what a stringer actually does and why it's worth going through one, read our tennis stringing guide.

Prices seen in Belgium

The figures below were taken in early October 2026 from the chains' websites. They are reference points, not an official tariff: Decathlon itself says its service prices can vary by store.

The French and Dutch versions of the Sportline page differ by a few euros for some strings — for example €27 or €29 for the Tecnifibre Duramix, €65 or €70 for the Babolat gut. The ranges above cover both versions, and it's a good illustration of what to keep in mind: these price lists change, so always confirm the price with your stringer.

The two chains land on similar totals. A Tecnifibre X-One Biphase costs €24 at Decathlon, plus €12 of labour: €36, exactly the all-in price Sportline shows. For a Wilson Sensation you get to €22.99 at Decathlon (€10.99 + €12) against €25 at Sportline. SmashPoint, for its part, quotes €20 to €25 for a restring, depending on the type of string.

What changes the bill

• The type of string : at Sportline the gap runs from €15 to €70 all-in while the labour stays at €12: the difference comes almost entirely from the string, and natural gut sits clearly above the rest.
• Where you buy the string : the same Tecnifibre X-One Biphase set is listed at €24 at Decathlon and €30 at Bellissimo (string only: Bellissimo shows no labour rate on the pages we checked).
• The turnaround you choose : at Decathlon, labour costs €12 if the racket is returned in under 6 days and €5 after that: agreeing to wait saves €7.
• A hybrid setup : a hybrid combines two different strings in one racket, so the cost depends on the price of each.

To understand what each string family offers before paying for it, see which tennis string should you choose and our comparison monofilament or multifilament.

Turnaround: what shops say

There's no turnaround common to all shops, but several spell out their options:

Two things to remember. First, express isn't guaranteed everywhere or at all times: the interclub season is exactly when one of the shops rules it out, probably because demand is higher. Second, the turnaround is settled at drop-off: ask for the pick-up date before leaving your racket, and drop it off several days before a deadline rather than the day before.

To plan ahead rather than react, see also when should you restring your tennis racket: a string breaking the day before a match is the situation where you end up paying for express.

Why comparing is still a chore today

This survey also shows how scattered the information is. To write this article we had to open the pages of several chains: some show an all-in price, others labour only; two versions of the same page don't always give the same amounts; turnarounds are rarely published, and the price of an express almost never. Several shops show no price list on the pages we checked: you have to call them.

Simplifying that is exactly what Tension is for: bringing available stringers near you, their prices and turnarounds together in one place, so you can book your restring and track your racket until it's ready. Tension is coming to Belgium in late 2026, and you can already get notified at launch.

Are you a stringer or a shop? Tension Pro is designed to manage your orders, customers and stringing jobs, while letting new players find and book you.

How to keep your stringing budget under control

• The longer turnaround : if you're not in a hurry, the over-6-days option at Decathlon costs €5 instead of €12.
• The loyalty card : Sportline offers a stringing card: after five restrings, the sixth is free.
• The first restring on purchase : according to the Dutch version of its page, Sportline offers the first restring when you buy a racket in its shop; if you're buying a new racket, ask your retailer whether they offer the same.
• The reel, for players who restring often : Sportline sells reels of string that it stores in your name: you then only pay the labour (€12) at each restring, and one reel covers 17 to 18 restrings depending on your racket. A calculation from its prices: a Wilson Sensation costs €25 all-in, i.e. €13 of string per restring, versus €99 for the reel; the reel becomes cheaper from about 8 restrings. It only makes sense if you restring often with the same string.
• The right rhythm : restringing too often costs money for nothing, too rarely dulls the feel. The rule of thumb “as many times a year as you play per week” gives an order of magnitude: someone who plays twice a week restrings about twice a year, which at €20-30 a restring is around €40 to €60 a year (an illustration, not a typical budget).
• Not necessarily the most durable string : a more durable string doesn't always need restringing less often: a monofilament resists breakage better but loses tension faster.

The detail of that rule and its limits is in when should you restring your tennis racket.

What to ask the shop before you leave your racket

• Is the price all-in (string and labour) or labour only?
• Which exact string and which tension, in kilograms, will be used?
• What pick-up date are you given, and is there a faster option (at what price)?
• Can I bring my own string, and what is the labour rate then?

To settle on a tension before you talk to the stringer: what tension should you choose for your tennis racket. For the gauge: which tennis string gauge should you choose. For the big picture, see our tennis stringing guide.

String, tension, pick-up date: exactly the details Tension will let you find again in your racket's history, rather than asking for them again at every drop-off.