from the gut string to Rafael Nadal’s tennis racket

Nearly 150 years after its creation, Babolat continues to sell tennis racket strings. The brand also offers rackets to stars of the world circuit and is interested in other sports such as padel and badminton.

In 1875, the rules of tennis had only been set for a year, in England, when Pierre Babolat (specializing in the transformation of natural guts used for musical instrument strings or surgical threads) was asked to create the very first string tennis racket.

He launched his brand, which developed over the years, and sold his ropes in more than 100 countries around the world. In the 1950s, equipment to extend the life of the string was so inseparable from Babolat that a new term was used by athletes: “babolarising”.

Borg, Noah or Nadal brand ambassadors

In the 1970s and 1980s, Bjorn Borg then Yannick Noah became brand ambassadors by winning Roland Garros with Babolat strings.

Revolution in the mid-1990s, Babolat no longer contented itself with the string and produced its first racket, “the Pure Drive, which will become the best-selling racket in the world”, welcomes Marion Cornu, Global Marketing Director of Babolat.

In 1998, first victory at Porte d’Auteuil for a Babolat racket, thanks to Carlos Moya. Before the historic domination of another Spaniard from 2005: Rafael Nadal, “whose meeting with Babolat was extremely powerful” ; he won Roland Garros 14 times.

80% of turnover abroad

If the brand is French, it only generates 20% of its turnover in France. Babolat’s Global Marketing Director explains the reason: “The global tennis market, spread over three large geographic areas, is dominated by the United States. Japan also plays a very important role.”

On the manufacturing side, while the rackets and shoes are mainly produced in Asia, almost all of the strings are made in France. “The important thing for us is above all to bring the places of manufacturing closer to the places of practice” adds Marion Cornu.