By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday August 25, 2023
Carlos Alcaraz will carry a trusted accomplice on court for the next seven years.
World No. 1 Alcaraz has signed a seven-year contract extension with his long-time racquet sponsor, Babolat, ensuring he will play with a Babolat racquet through at least 2030.
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The extension continues Alcaraz's career-long commitment to Babolat. The 20-year-old Spaniard has played with a Babolat racquet since he was 10.
Reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion Alcaraz, who has been playing with his Babolat Pure Aero 98—and Babolat RPM Blast strings—signed the latest extension of his contract alongside Eric Babolat the Chief Executive Officer of Babolat, and the great-great-grandson of the firm’s founder.
Babolat has equipped tennis lovers worldwide for nearly 150 years, from club players to the all-time greatest champions: René Lacoste, Arthur Ashe, Björn Borg, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, Li Na, Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki, Carlos Moya and Rafa Nadal to name a few.
“For more than 10 years now, Babolat experts have been constantly working close with me to provide the best tennis equipment for my performance. Playing with my Pure Aero 98 strung with RPM Blast is more than just having a tennis racquet,” Alcaraz said. “It means I’m a member of the Babolat family, and that there are people at Babolat I think of as part of my team.
"They listen carefully to my needs and my feedback, and it’s a constant, constructive two-way process. As a result, I have always been happy with the performance and feel of the frames and strings, and extending this long-term partnership makes total sense.”
In an interview with Tennis Now two days before the 2022 US Open, Eric Babolat praised Alcaraz as one of the sport's most exciting young players and expressed his belief Alcaraz could win the Open, which proved to be prophetic.
“For us, sport is not just about success, but about attitude and values. Carlitos Alcaraz is a great role model who shares our values: “no gut, no glory,” " Eric Babolat said. "And he is such an inspiration for the younger generation, and for all tennis fans. You could see how people warmed to him in Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
"His positive energy, on-court creativity, great sportsmanship, and pure enjoyment when playing tennis really connects with everyone. We are very happy to continue a relationship with Carlitos, which started 10 years ago when he was only 10 years old, for at least another seven years, and to work with him to make history and inspire the tennis world.”
Alcaraz signed his first contract with Babolat in Spain at the age of 10. At 13, he joined the international Babolat team, and at just 20 he is the youngest world No. 1 in tennis history and already has two Grand Slam titles to his name.
The Spanish phenom, who began playing tennis at age 4, has always played with Babolat racquets and strings. Playing with a Babolat Pure Aero when he signed, he later needed for a racquet that brought him a little more control and switched to the Babolat Pure Aero VS which has a smaller head size of 632 cm² (98 in²) (compared to the 645 cm² (100 in²) head size of the Pure Aero).
Babolat says Alcaraz's frame "is slightly more squared beam, more streamlined, and slimmer while still being a dynamic racquet, something that he likes a lot."
Since the start of the 2022 US Open, Carlos has played with the Babolat Pure Aero 98 racquet, an updated version of the Pure Aero VS, and strings it with Babolat RPM Blast strings (gauge 130/16).
Photo credit: Babolat