Tennis Industry News

What’s the oldest tennis company in the world? For some, the answer may be surprising, since it was only in the last 10 years that the French company Babolat became much more visible in the U.S. when it introduced racquets here. But Babolat is the oldest tennis company in the world—it’s been making tennis strings for 135 years. In fact, Babolat invented tennis strings, pretty much at the same time the game of tennis itself was born. In 1875, Pierre Babolat, who lived in Lyon (where the company is still based, and still uses its original building), was making natural gut strings for musical instruments. Major Walter Clopton Wingfield visited Babolat to talk about strings for wooden racquets for a new game Wingfield called “sphairistike” (a Greek word meaning “ball game”), which he had patented a year earlier. (Thankfully, the game caught on, but not Wingfield’s original name for it.) From that point on, Babolat and his company became dedicated to tennis. Now, Pierre’s great-great-grandson, Eric Babolat, heads the company and his vision has been changing the fortunes of the family-run firm, bringing innovative products to market in the U.S. and around the world, establishing and maintaining key relationships with pro and specialty retailers, and adding excitement for both recreational and pro players. His vision, products, growth and approach to business in the U.S. is what makes Eric Babolat our choice for Racquet Sports Industry’s 2009 Person of the Year. Read full story here.