In 2023, BNP Paribas is celebrating its 50 years of commitment to tennis. This half-century of loyalty and passion has been marked by the conviction that tennis is greater when it is collective and focused on youth. And because half a century of our love for this sport calls for a communal celebration, we invite you to join in and shape this passionate commitment together in the coming years.

BNP Paribas and tennis: a story made to last.

The story of BNP and our favourite sport began in 1973. In half a century, it has extended beyond the Porte d’Auteuil stadium to encompass all areas of the sport, from professionals to amateurs and including fans, young hopefuls, and solidarity projects.

In 2023, we are celebrating our 50 years of commitment and loyalty to tennis. This anniversary is an opportunity for us to reaffirm our loyalty and strengthen our commitment to the younger generation.

Discover our projects for our 50 year anniversary

50 years of change

The support provided by BNP and then BNP Paribas has never stopped evolving. More than just a financial sponsor, BNP Paribas has for 50 years been a passionate and committed player involved in all aspects of tennis (amateur, professional, fans, young hopefuls, and solidarity projects).

  • 1973

    The BNP branch in Auteuil and the FFT officially sign their partnership. Philippe Chatrier, President of the French Tennis Federation, was looking to build boxes on the centre court of Roland-Garros, a court that was named after him in 2001. The BNP branch in Auteuil, which held the FFT’s account at the time, supported and financed the construction work. This explains the appearance of the three letters “BNP” on the tarpaulin at the back of the court. Fifty years later, they are still there.

  • 1985

    BNP has gone from being a simple financial sponsor to a major provider of support for the entire tennis world, notably by encouraging the development of amateur tennis in clubs. 

  • 1993

    The Group supports wheelchair tennis. Today, BNP Paribas supports numerous wheelchair tournaments, including the World Team Cup and the French Riviera Open, as well as five wheelchair players, four of whom are part of the Team BNP Paribas Jeunes Talents.

  • 2000

    The BNP Paribas brand was first seen on the tarpaulins at the back of French Open courts. That same year, BNP Paribas became a partner of the selection of Roland Garros ball boys and ball girls. At the time, the selection process was organised exclusively in the Ile de France region. Thanks to the partnership, the process was extended to the whole of France to enable access to all young FFT licence holders. 

  • 2001

    BNP Paribas becomes a partner of the Fête le Mur organisation created by Yannick Noah in 1996. In addition to financial support, the bank also assists the organisation with numerous human and physical resources. These include IT, invitations to partner tournaments, and the creation of the Team BNP Paribas Kids Fête le Mur.
    2001 was also the year in which BNP Paribas began to extend its support internationally, becoming a partner of the Davis Cup. It went on to partner the Fed Cup in 2006, followed by the Indian Wells and Rome tournaments. 

  • 2011

    Launch of the We Are Tennis platform, dedicated to all tennis fans around the world, enabling them to live their passion for tennis even more intensely. The platform features a site covering the latest tennis news in an offbeat tone, as well as live scoring, ATP and WTA calendars and rankings, and player information pages. This content is supported by the social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook), today followed by more than two million people.

  • 2015

    BNP Paribas launches its tennis solidarity programme, Aces du Cœur, rewarding the aces served in partner tournaments with donations to organisations working towards the inclusion of the younger generation as well as gender equality and environmental protection.
    This year also saw the birth of the We Are Tennis Fan Academy,the world’s first school for tennis fans. 

  • 2018

    The first Team BNP Paribas Jeunes Talents was created in association with the FFT and sponsored by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The aim is to support young French tennis talents in their dual sporting and academic challenge. Today, the programme supports more than 150 young hopefuls in six countries (France, Italy, USA, Belgium, Poland and Canada).

  • 2020

    Felix Auger-Aliassime and BNP Paribas, launch #FAAPointsForChange, a solidarity programme supporting the protection and education of young people in Togo. For each point scored by Félix, $20 are donated ($5 by Félix and $15 by the bank) to the solidarity project led by the NGO Care in Togo. Since the launch of the programme, Felix Auger-Aliassime has scored more than 18,000 points.
    In December 2022, Felix returned to Africa for the second time to meet the children of the programme in Togo. The event proved a true moment of sharing and emotion in the birth country of Felix’s father. 

  • 2023

    In 2023, BNP Paribas is celebrating its 50 years of commitment to tennis: 50 years of commitment to tennis in all its forms, and an unshakeable conviction that the sport is greater when it brings together positive energies to help those in need.