Babolat, a longstanding partner of the French Riviera Open, renews its commitment to tennis for all in 2026

A partner of the French Riviera Open for 10 years and of its Founding President, Michaël Jeremiasz, for 20 years, Babolat reaffirms its commitment to serving everyone who loves the game and supporting sport for people with disabilities. The renewal of its support for this leading wheelchair tennis tournament for three years, from 2027 to 2029, is part of a broader approach: to affirm, more strongly than ever, that sporting excellence transcends differences. Éric Babolat and his teams attended the French Riviera Open this weekend to reaffirm their support for every form of tennis.

Babolat by every player’s side

This loyalty and strengthened commitment mean a great deal to Éric Babolat: “Serving the game and those who love it means recognising every form of sporting excellence and providing consistent support, from the first rally to the highest level, and beyond a sporting career. By renewing our support here, Babolat is celebrating more than just ten years of the French Riviera Open. We are choosing to continue a relationship that began more than twenty years ago with Michaël Jeremiasz, and to stand alongside the people who bring the game to life and help make it more accessible, more visible and more open.”

Driven by the desire and ambition to support outstanding performances and everyone who loves the game, regardless of age, ability or personal circumstances, including disability, the brand immediately joined Michaël Jeremiasz when he launched the French Riviera Open in 2017 in Biot, in France’s Alpes-Maritimes department. It was a natural partnership: Babolat had already supported Michaël Jeremiasz’s playing career for more than ten years. He became world No. 1 in singles in 2005, became a wheelchair tennis champion alongside Stéphane Houdet in 2008, and claimed eight Grand Slam doubles titles. At the time, they shared a conviction: wheelchair tennis deserved the same stage as non-disabled tennis tournaments. That conviction has only grown stronger over time.

This year, the French Riviera Open, a leading wheelchair tennis tournament with an international reach that has successfully built lasting partnerships, celebrates its 10th edition. A decade of bringing together the world’s best players and giving their performances the visibility and recognition they deserve. A decade of changing attitudes and perceptions, so that watching the talent on court inspires conversations about competition, extraordinary achievement and emotion, as well as disability and inclusion.

A comprehensive long-term commitment

As Michaël Jeremiasz, an iconic figure in wheelchair tennis and a dedicated advocate for its development, explains: “The French Riviera Open is much more than a tournament. It is a tool for education, a catalyst for social change and a media platform that stands alongside people who too often go unseen.”

With this in mind, the brand is extending its partnership with the tournament for three years, from 2027 to 2029. The partnership includes financial support and the provision of products and equipment needed to run the event: the tournament’s official balls, along with kit for ball kids and tournament staff. Through various initiatives during the tournament, Babolat also creates and develops direct connections between its own partners and wheelchair tennis players, raising awareness of para sport and helping athletes develop their plans, from funding and equipment to career management and more.

Babolat supports more than players and tournaments. The brand stands alongside women and men, and the projects they bring to life. This commitment includes supporting the careers of Dutch player Niels Vink, who first reached world No. 1 in 2022 and has eleven major singles titles to his name, as well as Pauline Déroulède, Stéphane Houdet and Cléo Ginterdaele, the 2024 French junior champion.