How to get sponsored by Babolat

We talk with Jean Christophe Verborg, the Sports Marketing Tennis Director at Babolat, about what they look for in their brand ambassadors. Babolat has always been known for their grass roots approach to athletes. Many of their flagship players were approached as juniors and received a racquet from the Babolat team in hopes that they would love its performance. The quality of the product and the honest approach ensured that athletes like Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki and Andy Roddick stayed with the brand for the entirety of their careers. Their approach today remains the same, aiming to find players who want to become a part of the Babolat family for life. Read below to see if you have what it takes!

Obviously, being sponsored is every tennis players dream, especially by a brand with as much prestige and recognition as Babolat. What are they first steps someone should or need to take to get on your radar?

The first step would be to email us with information about themselves including the project, rankings, results, where they train, videos, etc. We are present in more than 140 countries in the world, it's easy to contact someone from the Babolat team.

Who is eligible to be a member of Team Babolat? Open to players worldwide?

Team Babolat is open to players worldwide. We have players on international contracts from countries all over the world. Then you also have local contracts through our subsidiaries and distributors.

Is there certain qualities you look for in a player? Or is it more about tournament results?

There are many different things we look for in a player, rankings and results are just one aspect of it. We want players who are going to represent the brand well, ones that others look up to, players who respect the sport and their opponents, and ultimately love tennis and Babolat. The team around the player is also very important. Finally, another key point is also the capacity to work together, we are talking about partnership, which means the ability to work together, develop together, and have a “living” relationship!

What is the age range of the players you sponsor? How young is your youngest ambassador?

Internationally, we have ambassadors from age 12 – 35. At a local level, some countries start supporting players at 9 or 10 if they are exceptional athletes.

If someone wants to become a Babolat player, what is the best way to contact you? Email? Social media?

There are so many different avenues of communication these days that we cannot always check them all regularly. That is why email is definitely the best way.

Are you looking more into the potential of an athlete or his/her results? Do you take in consideration the quality/quantity of training?

It is really a mix of potential and results. We want players who are going to be brand ambassadors for life. They need to have good results, but we are also looking at their long-term potential. Some players might not play as many tournaments and focus more on training when they are younger. Others might have school conflicts that do not allow them to train or travel as much. These are all things we consider.

How much visibility does the player need to have? How many tournaments/matches do you require them to play a year?

Players certainly need to be visible. However, as I mentioned before some younger players might not be able to play that many tournaments so there is not a set requirement for juniors. The professionals are different though, they are required to play at least 11 tournaments per year.

Do all sponsored athletes aspire to become professionals? Besides equipment and financial support, what is your mission toward their success?

I think all our young ambassadors aspire to become professionals, but it is not necessarily a requirement. We truly view this as a partnership and not just a sponsorship. We expect certain things from them in terms of performance and endorsement. The players should expect from us the right equipment and level of service for them to perform at their best.

Before coming onto the Babolat team, do they have to declare their undying love for Rafa?

That is actually a good question. We do want players who love Babolat, and how can you love Babolat and not Rafa??