Babolat sporting equipment

Brand History and Evolution

Babolat is the oldest company specializing in racket sports, founded in Lyon, France, in 1875 by Pierre Babolat. Initially, the company rose to fame by inventing the first natural gut tennis strings, shortly after Walter Clopton Wingfield wrote the official rules of lawn tennis. For more than a century, the brand remained focused exclusively on strings until 1994, when it expanded into tennis rackets and eventually footwear and apparel.

Manufacturing and Ownership

Today, Babolat operates as a family-owned global enterprise. While the brand's premium natural gut strings are still manufactured in France (specifically at the Ploërmel factory), the majority of its tennis rackets, synthetic strings, and technical accessories are produced in Asia. Its tennis footwear line is a result of a specialized partnership with the French tire giant Michelin. The company remains under the control of the Babolat family, ensuring that its century-long heritage of innovation and specialty craftsmanship continues into the future of sports technology.