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Babolat has been one of the foremost innovators and has had a big impact on the history of tennis. This can be seen through their development of strings and racquets but also in a more behind the scenes capacity with their stringing and customization machines.

From a stringing and customization stand point, they have been at the pinnacle for decades. Their stringing machines have combined reliability, precision, ease of use and inspire confidence among touring professionals when they turn up at any event. The fact that the Babolat Star 4 is still used by the most prominent travelling stringing company (despite it being nearly 30 years old) is a testament to the brand’s quality. Their RDC machine has also allowed racquet technicians the ability to measure and adjust a racquet’s specifications so that the weight, balance and swing weight can be fine-tuned to each individual player’s needs.

Babolat's Story

A year after tennis was born; Pierre Babolat would change the sport forever.

Pierre Babolat (image: babolat.com)

In 1875 at his home in Lyon, France, Babolat fashioned racquet strings from sheep intestines – a process that was deemed revolutionary.

Babolat strings would stand the test of time, helping to produce some of the game’s greatest champions, including 19-time major winner Rafael Nadal. It also provided the foundation of a five-generation family business that continues to thrive 150 years later.

The company’s roots and reputation started with the invention of tennis racquet strings and eventually expanded its footprint to produce some of the best quality tennis, squash and badminton equipment.

1930s Logo (image: recreation)

In 1925, Albert Babolat introduced the VS Natural Gut string, taking the company and the sport to another level in France.

(image: babolat.com)

A group of players known as “The Musketeers” received string samples listed alphabetically. When the four players - Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste - reached sample V, it was agreed, “V is superior,” hence the name V Superior (VS).

Rene Lacoste and Suzanne Lenglen became the first players to win the French Open with Babolat strings.

(image: babolat.com)

Their VS Natural Gut strings have evolved quite extensively over the years with coatings being added to help increase its life, as well as hold up better in extreme weather situations. It’s quite uncommon that the gut is used for a full stringing job on tour now; however its comfort, tension maintenance and power are still used by between 30-40% of the professionals as part of a hybrid. With that in mind Babolat had to join the polyester revolution and they have done so with huge success. Their RPM Blast string is one of the most popular strings among professionals, always in the top 3 types of string used at any big event.

In the wake of World War II, manufacturers’ interest in synthetic materials led Babolat to invent the first synthetic string in 1955, known as “Elascord.”

1970s Logo (image: recreation)

1980s Babolat VS Logo (image: recreation)

In 1981, the company introduced the first electric stringing machine called “The Exclusive.” This machine was a more reliable means of stringing by having a computerized electric motor control the tension, allowing for more accuracy.

Exclusive Stringing Machine (image: babolat.com)

The following year, Babolat released “Elastocross”, an innovative racquet string protector which functions to prolong an installed string’s lifespan. 

Babolat Elastocross (image: babolat.com)

1990s Logos (image: recreation)

In 1992, Babolat created the Racquet Diagnostic Center (RDC) technology, allowing for a quick and very reliable diagnosis of a racquet’s weight, balance, swing-weight and flexibility. 

RDC Machine (image: babolat.com)

Two years later, Babolat introduced its first tennis racquet, the iconic Pure Drive. The success of this racquet was celebrated with Carlos Moya’s 1998 win at the French Open.

1994 Pure Drive (image: babolat.com)

The Pure Drive racquet, after its introduction in the mid-90s, lays a huge claim to changing the game as we know it. Gone are the days of serve and volleying dominating the tour. The extra power and spin potential available from the Pure Drive has allowed players to move further back and be able to hit shots never before possible, creating angles and added power to pass anyone who ventured forward. Since then every racquet has become more powerful with a wider range of racquets available in the 300 gram mark than any other. 

Woofer technology (image: babolat.com)

Further technological advancements of the racquet arrived five years later with Woofer - an interactive system of a racquet’s frame and strings when making contact.

 

2002 Logo (image: recreation)

During 2003, the French company teamed up with Michelin, the world’s leading tire expert, to create its first shoe. Furthermore, tennis professional Rafael Nada ladopted the launch of the new “Aero” racquet concept: the world’s first aerodynamic frame and best seller at Merchant of Tennis. 

2003 Footwear (image: babolat.com)

Two years later, Nadal won the first of his many French Open titles using racquets and strings produced by Babolat, a company that began in a home just over 450 kilometers south of Paris.

During the 2005 season, Andy Roddick signed a contract with Babolat to wear team all court shoes. The professional tennis player was known for using the Pure Drive Roddick, a customized version of the Pure Drive Tour and a best seller.

Andy Roddick: sponsored Babolat player (image: babolat.com)

In 2010, Babolat helped Nadal stay on top by launching RPM Blast, a string optimized for spin production. 

Three years later, Babolat launched the Play Pure Drive; a sensor racquet that collects data on a player’s game and transfers to a smartphone or tablet application for analysis. The world’s first of its kind.

2012 Logo (image: babolat.com)

Today, Babolat is known as the oldest racquet sport company and is found in more than 100 countries. Since 1998, the current CEO of the family owned business is Eric Babolat

In the highly competitive world of tennis footwear, three stripes netted adidas a place among the game’s leading brands and a major role in environmental initiative.

From humble beginnings, the adidas shoe quickly became a global success story. People in all corners of the world, both young and old, found the shoe an indispensable piece of apparel. These days, adidas also tapped into people’s social consciousness, creating shoes and clothing using discarded plastic litter from the beaches and coastal regions.

In 2015, adidas teamed up with Parley for the Oceans. The non-profit global network brings together the best minds from various industries seeking to raise awareness of the fragility of oceans, while plotting to end their destruction.

Through this partnership, adidas stemmed the tide of plastic trash reaching the oceans, while transforming waste to create high-performance athletic apparel and footwear, in a process known as upcycling. Adidas environmental awareness highlights an overarching belief that producing quality products should not come at the expense of being stewards of the planet.

The world faced a different crisis more than 90 years ago when adidas first found its footing. With the Great Depression looming on the horizon, Adolf and Rudolf Dassler developed the company blueprint in 1929 from their parents’ basement in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach.

Adi Dassler in his shoe factory (adidas-group.com)

Originally called Gebruder Dassler OHG, the new shoe company enjoyed modest success during the 1932 Olympics. It wasn’t until the 1936 games in Berlin that the company burst onto the scene. There, American superstar Jesse Owens wore a pair of the Dasslers’ track shoes en route to four gold medals.

Though business was good, the brothers could not see eye to eye, eventually parting ways in 1949. This is when Adolf Dassler, nicknamed Adi, struck out on his own to create Adidas and featured a shoe with three stripes.

Adi named his business by combining the first three letters of his nickname and last name. Rudolf tried to follow a similar format by naming his company Ruda but then changed it to Puma.

Adidas branched out to the sport of tennis during the 1960s, sponsoring two of the game’s rising stars, American Stan Smith and Romania’s Ilie Nastase.

Stan Smith Wimbledon 1972 (adidas-group.com)

The company introduced its first tennis shoe in 1963. Adi’s son, Horst, spearheaded the effort with the first-ever leather model, beginning a long line of classic designs. By 1965, adidas had gained a firm foothold in the tennis market. The Robert Haillet shoe, named after the French tennis professional, became an adidas staple.

When Haillet retired, adidas signed Smith, one of the game’s top players and the 1971 U.S. Open champion, to an endorsement deal that allowed the same shoe to continue under a different name. The Stan Smith model became wildly popular and during the 1970s, evolving into both an athletic and lifestyle shoe in the United States.

adidas Stan Smith Shoes (adidas.com)

During the 1980s and 1990s, adidas increased their reach in professional tennis by aligning their apparel and footwear lines with the game’s best players — Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg and Steffi Graf. During their illustrious careers, all three players had their own unique apparel designs that would be marketed to the masses.

Steffi Graf and Stefan Edberg (flickr.com)

Lendl also spent the majority of his decorated career playing with several adidas tennis racquets, primarily committing to the the iconic GTX-Pro before it evolved into the adidas GTX Pro-T.

The adidas company remained a fixture if the sport during the ensuing 20 years. In 2009, Great Britain’s Andy Murray, then ranked fourth in the world, became adidas’ highest-paid star athlete with a five-year contract worth $24.5 million.

Andy Murray (adidas.com)

Currently, adidas features several prominent players, including former women’s world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza and Angelique Kerber. On the men’s side, rising stars Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem are also representative of the brand.

Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev (adidas.com)

Still headquartered in his Bavarian hometown, Adi Dassler’s vision continued long after his death in 1978. Since its formation in post-war Europe, the adidas brand has become ubiquitous, ranking as the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and the second largest around the world.

Traditionally, the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, the U.S. Open is scheduled on the last Monday of August and goes until the second Sunday of September.

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City. The facility is home to 22 hard courts, including 3 show courts: Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, and Grandstand.

Here are some fun facts about the tournament:

Since 1987, Tiffany & Co. has been the official producer of the U.S. Open Trophy, weighing 10 pounds and 18 inches tall. The trophy is awarded to both the men’s and women’s singles champion.

In 1975, the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to feature night matches.

In 2001, Venus and Serena Williams became the first sisters to meet in a grand slam final at the US Open. The match lasted 69 minutes, with Venus winning 6-2, 6-4.

Tennis became the first sport and the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to men and women. This all started in 1973 when Billie Jean King threatened to boycott the event.

Arthur Ashe was the only African American male to win the US Open in 1968. The Arthur Ashe stadium was completed in 1997, and included a roof in 2016. The stadium is the largest tennis stadium in the world, seating 23,771 people.

The U.S. Open is the only Grand Slam event of the four to use a tiebreaker at 6-6 in the final set. However, Wimbledon recently decided to add a standard tiebreaker at 12-12 in the final set. The Australian Open and French Open still require a player to win by two games in the last set.

The youngest men's singles champion in U.S. Open history is Pete Sampras, who was 19 years, 28 days old when he won the title in 1990, defeating Andre Agassi in straight sets. The youngest women's singles champion is Tracy Austin at the 1979 U.S. Open where she beat Chris Evert to win the title at the age of 16 years and eight months.

The U.S. Open has been played on three different courts surfaces in its history. From 1881 to 1974, it was played on grass; from 1975 to 1977, on clay and since 1978 it’s been a hard-court surface — DecoTurf. The courts were made blue in 2007.

The 2006 US Open became the first of the majors to allow players to challenge line calls via the Hawk-Eye system.

The Honey Deuce is known as the official cocktail of the U.S. Open. The mixture includes Grey Goose Vodka, lemonade, Chambord liqueur and ice garnished with four honeydew melon balls.

Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer are tied with five U.S. Open men’s singles titles – the most in the Open Era. Both Chris Evert and Serena Williams have the most women’s singles titles with six each.