Jump to content

Babolat: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
No edit summary
No edit summary
 
(129 intermediate revisions by 66 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|French tennis, badminton, and padel equipment company}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Multiple issues|
{{refimprove|date=December 2007}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2007}}
{{Third-party|date=December 2015}}
{{Third-party|date=December 2015}}
}}
}}


{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = Babolat
| name = Babolat
| logo = Logo Babolat.png
| logo = Logo Babolat.png
| logoalt =
| logo_size = 250
| foundation = {{start date and age|1875}}
| slogan = Tennis runs in our blood
| founder = Pierre Babolat
| foundation = 1875
| location = [[Lyon]], France
| location = [[Lyon]], France
| key_people =
| key_people = Éric Babolat (CEO)
| industry = [[Sports equipment]]
| industry = [[Sports equipment]]
| products = [[Racquets (sport)|Racquets]], [[Strings (tennis)|strings]], accessories and shoes.
| products = [[Racquets (sport)|Racquets]], [[Strings (tennis)|strings]], accessories and shoes
| revenue = €141,2 million (2014)
| revenue = €141.2 million (2014)
| net_income =
| net_income =
| num_employees = 360
| num_employees = 369
| homepage = http://www.babolat.com
| homepage = {{url|https://www.babolat.com/|babolat.com}}
}}
}}


'''Babolat''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɑː|b|oʊ|l|ɑː}} is a French [[tennis]], [[badminton]], and [[Squash (sport)|squash]] equipment company, headquartered in Lyon, best known for its [[Strings (tennis)|strings]] and [[tennis racquet]]s which are used by several top players. The company has made strings since 1875, when Pierre Babolat created the first strings made of natural gut. Babolat continued to focus on strings until 1994, when it became a "total tennis" company, producing also racquet frames and selling them in Europe. It then expanded sales to Japan, and later to the USA in 2000. Sales of Babolat racquets increased rapidly in North America and Europe. Babolat is also a pioneer in [[connected sport]] technology and launched a connected tennis racket in 2014<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/04/babolat-play-smart-racket-tennis</ref> and a connected wrist-worn tennis wearable with [[PIQ sport|PIQ]] in 2015.<ref>https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/28/babolat-pop-piq-sensors/</ref>
'''Babolat''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɑː|b|oʊ|l|ɑː}}) is a French [[tennis]], [[badminton]], and [[Padel (sport)|padel]] equipment company, headquartered in [[Lyon]], best known for its [[Strings (tennis)|strings]] and [[tennis racquet]]s which are used by professional and recreational players worldwide. The company has made strings since 1875, when Pierre Babolat created the first strings made of natural gut. Babolat continued to focus on strings until 1994, when it became a "total tennis" company, producing also racquet frames and selling them in Europe. It then expanded sales to Japan, and later to the United States in 2000. Sales of Babolat racquets increased rapidly in North America and Europe. Babolat is also a pioneer in connected sport technology and launched a connected tennis racket in 2014<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kiss|first=Jemima|date=2015-05-04|title=Tennis just got smarter with the Babolat Play connected racket - review|url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/04/babolat-play-smart-racket-tennis|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-11|website=the Guardian|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526190356/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/04/babolat-play-smart-racket-tennis |archive-date=2015-05-26 }}</ref> and a connected wrist-worn tennis wearable with PIQ in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Palermo|first=Philip|date=2015-08-28|title=Babolat and PIQ team up for a pair of wrist-worn tennis wearables|url=https://www.engadget.com/2015-08-28-babolat-pop-piq-sensors.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-11|website=Engadget|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108124440/https://www.engadget.com/2015-08-28-babolat-pop-piq-sensors.html |archive-date=2020-11-08 }}</ref> The Babolat Pop is used worldwide, and one of the leaders in tennis sensors.


== Notable products ==
==Babolat sponsorships==

;Male players
=== Strings ===
[[Image:Nadal vs Federer RG 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Rafael Nadal]] with Babolat AeroPro Drive at [[French Open|Roland Garros]] 2007]]
Some of the strings produced by Babolat include ''RPM Blast'', one of the most popular polyester strings known for its spin potential, and ''VS Gut'', a leading and original natural gut string.
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Rafael Nadal]] uses a Babolat AeroPro Drive GT (2013) strung with Babolat RPM Blast (Babolat Duralast 15L strings before 2010)

* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Andy Roddick]] retired, previously used a Babolat Pure Drive Roddick GT ++
=== Racquets ===
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jo-Wilfried Tsonga]] uses a Babolat AeroPro Drive GT (2013)
Babolat's current tennis racquet line-up includes ''Pure Drive'', a power-oriented racquet used by players such as [[Carlos Moyá]], [[Kim Clijsters]], [[Andy Roddick]] and [[Li Na]], ''Pure Aero'' (formerly ''AeroPro Drive''), known for its spin potential and usage by [[Rafael Nadal]], [[Caroline Wozniacki]] and [[Carlos Alcaraz]], and ''Pure Strike'', a control-oriented racquet used by players such as [[Dominic Thiem]].
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Máximo González]]

== Sponsorships ==
[[File:Nadal vs Federer RG 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Rafael Nadal]] holding a Babolat AeroPro Drive at the 2007 edition of [[French Open|Roland-Garros]]]]

Some of Babolat's sponsored players include:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.babolat.co.uk/player/tennis |title=Babolat Players Sponsored |website=babolat.co.uk |publisher=Babolat |access-date=Jun 12, 2020}}</ref>

===Tennis===
==== Men ====
<!-- From the Babolot Players Sponsored page; and retained in that order (June 2020)
any red link names should be deleted immediately -->
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Federico Delbonis]]
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Jordan Thompson (tennis)|Jordan Thompson]]
* {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Félix Auger-Aliassime]]
* {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Holger Rune]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carlos Alcaraz]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Albert Ramos Viñolas]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Arthur Fils]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Stéphane Houdet]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Benoît Paire]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard]]
* {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Cameron Norrie]]
* {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Luke Watson]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Fabio Fognini]]
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Taro Daniel]]
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Yosuke Watanuki]]
* {{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Alexander Shevchenko (tennis)|Alexander Shevchenko]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Evgeny Donskoy]]
* {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Elias Ymer]]
* {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Mikael Ymer]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Maxime Cressy]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ryan Harrison]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sam Querrey]]
{{div col end}}

==== Women ====
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Yanina Wickmayer]]
* {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Leylah Fernandez]]
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Wang Xinyu]]
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Zheng Saisai]]
* {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Ana Konjuh]]
* {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Karolína Plíšková]]
* {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Caroline Wozniacki]]
* {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Heather Watson]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Sara Errani]]
* {{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Yulia Putintseva]]
* {{flagicon|PHI}} [[Alexandra Eala]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jennifer Brady]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sofia Kenin]]
{{div col end}}

====Retired players====
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Mariano Puerta]]
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Mariano Puerta]]
* {{flagicon|KRW}} [[Martin Tse Tsz Lan]]
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Samuel Groth]]
* {{flagicon|AUT}} [[Dominic Thiem]]
* {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Kim Clijsters]]
* {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Kirsten Flipkens]]
* {{flagicon|CHI}} [[Fernando González]]
* {{flagicon|CHI}} [[Fernando González]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carlos Moyá]] retired, previously used a Babolat Pure Drive
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Li Na]]
* {{flagicon|TOG}} [[Komlavi Loglo]]
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Peng Shuai]]
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Sebastián Decoud]]
* {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Mirjana Lučić-Baroni]]
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Juan Ignacio Chela]]
* {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Kristýna Plíšková]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Igor Andreev]] uses an Babolat Pure Drive
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Carlos Moyá]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Julien Benneteau]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Garbiñe Muguruza]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Rafael Nadal]]
{{colbegin|3}}
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sam Querrey]]
* {{flagicon|EST}} [[Anett Kontaveit]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Johnson (tennis)|Steve Johnson]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Alizé Cornet]]
* {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Ivo Karlović]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Pauline Parmentier]]
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[John Boso]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jo-Wilfried Tsonga]]
* {{flagicon|PAR}} [[Maurice Russo]]
* {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Johanna Konta]]
* {{flagicon|PER}} [[Luis Horna]]
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Julia Görges]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Florent Serra]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Francesca Schiavone]]
* {{flagicon|COL}} [[Alejandro Falla]]
* {{flagicon|COL}} [[Santiago Giraldo]]
* {{flagicon|COL}} [[Robert Farah Maksoud|Robert Farah]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Fabio Fognini]]
* {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Kenneth Carlsen]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Édouard Roger-Vasselin]]
* {{flagicon|IND}} [[Leander Paes]]
* {{flagicon|IRL}} [[Conor Niland]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Olivier Patience]]
* {{flagicon|ECU}} [[Nicolás Lapentti]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Reynolds]]
* {{flagicon|SLO}} [[Grega Žemlja]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Nicolas Devilder]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Mathieu Montcourt]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Robby Ginepri]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jack Sock]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael Russell (tennis)|Michael Russell]]
* {{flagicon|TWN}} [[Wang Yeu-tzuoo]]
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Juan Pablo Guzmán]]
* {{flagicon|NED}} [[Jean-Julien Rojer]]
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Benedikt Dorsch]]
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Brian Dabul]]
* {{flagicon|IND}} [[Somdev Devvarman]]
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Wayne Arthurs (tennis)|Wayne Arthurs]]
* {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Ricardo Mello]]
* {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Thiago Alves (tennis)|Thiago Alves]]
* {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Franco Ferreiro]]
* {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Rogério Dutra da Silva]]
* {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Antonio Veić]]
* {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Jurića Grubišić]]
* {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Jan Hernych]]
* {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Jan Hájek (tennis)|Jan Hájek]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Albert Portas]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Javier Garrapiz]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Marc López]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Pablo Carreno Busta]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Sébastien de Chaunac]]
* {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Alex Bogdanović]]
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Dieter Kindlmann]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Gianluca Naso]]
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Yūichi Sugita]]
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Yūichi Sugita]]
* {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Bruno Echagaray]]
* {{flagicon|POL}} [[Agnieszka Radwańska]]
* {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Santiago González (tennis)|Santiago González]]
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Victor Crivoi]]
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Marius Copil]]
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Răzvan Sabău]]
* {{flagicon|SUI}} [[George Bastl]]
* {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Daniel Thornton]]
* {{flagicon|URU}} [[Marcel Felder]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sam Warburg]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Justin Gimelstob]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Trevor Wright]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jason Brown (tennis)|Jason Brown]]
* {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Thomas Sodermans]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Brian Baker (tennis)|Brian Baker]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Thomas Constantine]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Alex Bogomolov]]
* {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Russell Shaw (American football)|Russell Shaw]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Avery]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ryan Harrison (tennis)|Ryan Harrison]]
{{colend}}
;Female players
{{colbegin|3}}
* {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Caroline Wozniacki]] uses the Babolat AeroPro Drive
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Nadia Petrova]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Nadia Petrova]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Dinara Safina]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Dinara Safina]]
* {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Kim Clijsters]] uses the Babolat Pure Drive GT
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Samantha Stosur]] uses the Babolat Pure Strike
* {{flagicon|AUT}} [[Sybille Bammer]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Francesca Schiavone]] uses the Babolat AeroPro Drive GT
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Sara Errani]]
* {{flagicon|POL}} [[Agnieszka Radwańska]] uses the Babolat Pure Drive Lite
* {{flagicon|POL}} [[Urszula Radwańska]]
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rennae Stubbs]]
* {{flagicon|SLO}} [[Katarina Srebotnik]]
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Li Na]] uses the Babolat Pure Drive GT
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Julia Görges]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Vera Dushevina]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Émilie Loit]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Karin Knapp]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Meghann Shaughnessy]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Elena Vesnina]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Elena Vesnina]]
* {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Eugenie Bouchard]]
* {{flagicon|SRB}} [[Viktor Troicki]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Alizé Cornet]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Pauline Parmentier]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Caroline Garcia]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Laura Granville]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Garbiñe Muguruza]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Lourdes Domínguez Lino]]
* {{flagicon|EST}} [[Kaia Kanepi]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jill Craybas]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lisa Raymond]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Vania King]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Yaroslava Shvedova]]
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Irina-Camelia Begu]]
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Alexandra Dulgheru]]
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Edina Gallovits-Hall]]
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Ioana Raluca Olaru]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Aravane Rezaï]]
* {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Olga Savchuk]]
* {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Mirjana Lučić]]
* {{flagicon|BLR}} [[Tatiana Poutchek]]
* {{flagicon|UZB}} [[Akgul Amanmuradova]]
* {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sofia Arvidsson]]
* {{flagicon|EST}} [[Maret Ani]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Maria Elena Camerin]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Séverine Brémond]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro]]
* {{flagicon|SUI}} [[Timea Bacsinszky]]
* {{flagicon|SUI}} [[Timea Bacsinszky]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Alberta Brianti]]
* {{flagicon|SVK}} [[Dominika Cibulková]]
* {{flagicon|SVK}} [[Martina Suchá]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[CiCi Bellis]]
* {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Yuliya Beygelzimer]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jack Sock]]
{{div col end}}
* {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Kirsten Flipkens]]

* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Laura Pous Tió]]
===Badminton===
* {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Emma Laine]]
====Men====
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Clarisa Fernández]]
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Mariana Díaz Oliva]]
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[María Emilia Salerni]]
* {{flagicon|ALG}} [[Koceila Mammeri]]
* {{flagicon|IRL}} [[Amy Bowtell]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Lucas Corvée]]
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Sophie Ferguson]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Ronan Labar]]
{{div col end}}
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Nicole Pratt]]

* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lauren Breadmore]]
====Women====
* {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Valérie Tétreault]]
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Jessica Moore (tennis)|Jessica Moore]]
* {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Sylvija Talaja]]
* {{flagicon|ALG}} [[Tanina Mammeri]]
* {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Michaela Paštiková]]
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Chloe Birch]]
* {{flagicon|CZE}} [[Kateřina Böhmová (1986)|Kateřina Böhmová]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Qi Xuefei]]
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Arantxa Parra Santonja]]
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Anne Tran]]
{{div col end}}
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Estrella Cabeza]]

* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Nuria Llagostera Vives]]
== Controversy ==
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[María Sánchez Lorenzo]]
Despite initial statements indicating a cessation of business with Russia following the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], Babolat products remain available in the country. According to research from the [[Yale School of Management]], Babolat’s operations in Russia are conducted through an independent distributor, with whom Babolat has reportedly ceased direct transactions. However, this distributor continues to sell Babolat products and identifies as a Babolat-affiliated distributor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shehadi |first=Sebastian |date=2023-07-25 |title=WeWork, Nestle and Babolat among the Western companies who reneged on promises to leave Russia |url=https://www.investmentmonitor.ai/news/western-companies-who-reneged-on-promises-to-leave-russia/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=Investment Monitor |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tian |first=Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,Steven |title='The Feckless 400': These companies are still doing business in Russia–and funding Putin’s war |url=https://fortune.com/2023/07/11/the-feckless-400-these-companies-are-still-doing-business-in-russia-funding-putins-war-sonnenfeld-tian/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|PUR}} [[Monica Puig]]
* {{flagicon|NED}} [[Elise Tamaëla]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Nathalie Viérin]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Antonella Serra Zanetti]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Adriana Serra Zanetti]]
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Seiko Okamoto]]
* {{flagicon|LTU}} [[Lina Stančiūtė]]
* {{flagicon|LUX}} [[Claudine Schaul]]
* {{flagicon|POL}} [[Joanna Sakowicz]]
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Tatiana Panova]]
* {{flagicon|SLO}} [[Polona Rebersak]]
* {{flagicon|SVK}} [[Zuzana Kucová]]
* {{flagicon|TWN}} [[Chia Jung Chuang]]
* {{flagicon|TUR}} [[İpek Şenoğlu]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Neha Uberoi]]
* {{flagicon|IND}} [[Shikha Uberoi]]
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Zheng Saisai]]
* {{flagicon|HUN}} [[Tímea Babos]]
* {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Ana Konjuh]]
{{colend}}


==References==
==References==
Line 204: Line 139:


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.babolat.com/ Babolat]
* {{Official website|https://www.babolat.com/}}

{{Sports equipment brands}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Tennis equipment manufacturers]]
[[Category:Tennis equipment manufacturers]]
Line 212: Line 150:
[[Category:Sport in Lyon]]
[[Category:Sport in Lyon]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Lyon]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Lyon]]
[[Category:1875 establishments in France]]
[[Category:French companies established in 1875]]
[[Category:French brands]]
[[Category:French brands]]
[[Category:Sportswear brands]]

Latest revision as of 01:20, 16 December 2024

Babolat
IndustrySports equipment
Founded1875; 150 years ago (1875)
FounderPierre Babolat
HeadquartersLyon, France
Key people
Éric Babolat (CEO)
ProductsRacquets, strings, accessories and shoes
Revenue€141.2 million (2014)
Number of employees
369
Websitebabolat.com

Babolat (/ˈbɑːblɑː/) is a French tennis, badminton, and padel equipment company, headquartered in Lyon, best known for its strings and tennis racquets which are used by professional and recreational players worldwide. The company has made strings since 1875, when Pierre Babolat created the first strings made of natural gut. Babolat continued to focus on strings until 1994, when it became a "total tennis" company, producing also racquet frames and selling them in Europe. It then expanded sales to Japan, and later to the United States in 2000. Sales of Babolat racquets increased rapidly in North America and Europe. Babolat is also a pioneer in connected sport technology and launched a connected tennis racket in 2014[1] and a connected wrist-worn tennis wearable with PIQ in 2015.[2] The Babolat Pop is used worldwide, and one of the leaders in tennis sensors.

Notable products

[edit]

Strings

[edit]

Some of the strings produced by Babolat include RPM Blast, one of the most popular polyester strings known for its spin potential, and VS Gut, a leading and original natural gut string.

Racquets

[edit]

Babolat's current tennis racquet line-up includes Pure Drive, a power-oriented racquet used by players such as Carlos Moyá, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick and Li Na, Pure Aero (formerly AeroPro Drive), known for its spin potential and usage by Rafael Nadal, Caroline Wozniacki and Carlos Alcaraz, and Pure Strike, a control-oriented racquet used by players such as Dominic Thiem.

Sponsorships

[edit]
Rafael Nadal holding a Babolat AeroPro Drive at the 2007 edition of Roland-Garros

Some of Babolat's sponsored players include:[3]

Tennis

[edit]

Men

[edit]

Women

[edit]

Retired players

[edit]

Badminton

[edit]

Men

[edit]

Women

[edit]

Controversy

[edit]

Despite initial statements indicating a cessation of business with Russia following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Babolat products remain available in the country. According to research from the Yale School of Management, Babolat’s operations in Russia are conducted through an independent distributor, with whom Babolat has reportedly ceased direct transactions. However, this distributor continues to sell Babolat products and identifies as a Babolat-affiliated distributor.[4][5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kiss, Jemima (2015-05-04). "Tennis just got smarter with the Babolat Play connected racket - review". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  2. ^ Palermo, Philip (2015-08-28). "Babolat and PIQ team up for a pair of wrist-worn tennis wearables". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  3. ^ "Babolat Players Sponsored". babolat.co.uk. Babolat. Retrieved Jun 12, 2020.
  4. ^ Shehadi, Sebastian (2023-07-25). "WeWork, Nestle and Babolat among the Western companies who reneged on promises to leave Russia". Investment Monitor. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  5. ^ Tian, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,Steven. "'The Feckless 400': These companies are still doing business in Russia–and funding Putin's war". Fortune. Retrieved 2024-12-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
[edit]