CHICAGO and PARIS, Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The French Tennis Federation and Wilson Sporting Goods are delighted to announce they have entered into a new five-year partnership for Roland-Garros and the FFT. The partnership will be based on working together to enhance the Roland-Garros experience for all tennis fans and on implementing tennis initiatives across France. The agreement is a perfect example of the FFT's strategy of selecting innovative and dynamic partners in the tennis and tennis lifestyle space.
As a result of this agreement, Wilson® becomes the Official Ball and the Official Stringing Partner of Roland-Garros. Wilson will provide a new co-branded, high-performance tennis ball designed specifically for the famous clay courts of Roland-Garros. The new ball will be used for all matches during Roland-Garros and for various pre-tournament activations starting in 2020. Wilson will also bring its renowned, global stringing team to Roland-Garros in order to ensure first class services for the players during the tournament.
In addition to equipment provided for the tournament, Wilson and the FFT will launch a range of co-branded, premium Wilson/Roland-Garros products that combine elegance and high performance, including tennis balls, rackets, string, tennis bags, and accessories. Tennis fans will have the opportunity to purchase co-branded products on site at Roland-Garros during the Parisian Grand Slam, online via the Roland-Garros e-boutique and via Wilson's global sales network as of January 2020.
During the tournament, Wilson will operate an experiential retail space, where Roland-Garros guests can learn more about the brand and its vision for the future of tennis, as well as choosing from a broad collection of innovative Wilson tennis products. Wilson will also provide its equipment for tennis fans to use in the various tennis-themed activities in the FFT's Ten 'Up area.
Beyond the grounds of Roland-Garros, Wilson and the FFT will work together to develop new and dynamic ways to extend the Roland-Garros experience globally through digital and experiential activations as well as via unique content partnerships.
In addition to the partnership with Roland-Garros, Wilson also becomes the Official Partner of the FFT and the Official Ball of the French national tennis championships and as such will be actively involved in various programmes, such as "Raquettes FFT," "Fete du Tennis," "Tennis a l'ecole," Galaxie Tennis, "classement tennis," and "Tournois Multi-Chances" (TMC).
"We are very proud to welcome Wilson as an Official Partner of Roland-Garros and the French Tennis Federation. This partnership, which is built for the long term, is based on shared values such as performance and innovation. This double signing with Wilson, a world-renowned brand, will increase Roland-Garros' international exposure while encouraging French people to take up tennis, particularly young people, who represent the future of our clubs," explained Bernard Giudicelli, President of the French Tennis Federation.
"This partnership with the FFT is incredibly exciting for Wilson," said Hans-Martin Reh, General Manager, Wilson Racquet Sports. "Our passion for and commitment to creating the best clay- court experience for players aligns with the FFT's mission, and therefore, this is a partnership that is very authentic at its core. And as an innovative, design-led brand who is also continually looking to grow our sport, we are further excited by the FFT's forward-leaning approach to growing the presence of Roland-Garros around the world."
About Roland-Garros
In the eyes of sports fans, and indeed the general public, Roland-Garros is an unmissable event that enjoys immense prestige. The 2019 tournament attracted more than 520,000 spectators and was broadcast in 222 countries worldwide, confirming the tournament's status as a first-class international sporting event. Organised by the French Tennis Federation, Roland-Garros is the only Grand Slam tournament to be played on clay, one of the oldest and most noble surfaces in the history of tennis.
About Wilson Sporting Goods
Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a subsidiary of Amer Sports, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high performance sports equipment, apparel, and accessories. Wilson is the global leader in performance tennis and uses player insights to develop products that push tennis equipment innovation into new territories. Through its dedication to creating products that enable athletes at every level to perform at their best, Wilson has earned its place as a leader in sporting goods.
