One-On-One With Carlos Alcaraz On His 7-Year Extension With Babolat

When World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz started growing his international tennis presence at age 10, he played with a Babolat racket and strings. When the two-time major champion signed his first professional contract, it was with Babolat. Now, at age 20, Alcaraz shows no signs of slowing his connection to the French brand, announcing a seven-year extension with the French company that takes the relationship into 2030.

“The first memories I have were my first trip in Spain, an international tournament,” Alcaraz tells me. “I was playing with Babolat. It was amazing the first time I tried it and I never changed.”

Alcaraz became an official Babolat team member at age 10 and joined the international Babolat team at 13. He says the memories with the brand span from his early days in Spain right into winning the 2022 U.S. Open and 2023 Wimbledon titles (yes, he saves a racket from each of his major wins and puts them in a “really special place”).

When he first signed with Babolat, he used the Pure Drive for about a year, he says, but then switched to the Pure Aero line. He later switched into the Pure Aero VS, with a 98-inch-square head instead of the 100-square-inch size he played with at a younger age. Since the start of the 2022 U.S. Open, which Alcaraz won, he’s played with the Babolat Pure Aero 98, an updated version of the Pure Aero VS. He strings with the RPM Blast 16 gauge.

“When I was playing with the Pure Aero I was looking for one more string to have more control in my game,” he says about the switch. “I found the 98 and fell in love with it since the first time I tried it.”

Founded in 1875, Babolat is the old company specialized in tennis and invented the first strings for the sport in 1875, two years before Wimbledon was born.

MORE: Babolat, Oldest Tennis Manufacturer In The World, Enjoying Rise In Sport

Eric Babolat, CEO and great-great-grandson of the firm’s founders, calls Alcaraz a great role model with a shared value with the brand, serving as an inspiration for all tennis fans, especially the younger generation. “His positive energy, on-court creativity, great sportsmanship and pure enjoyment when playing tennis really connects with everyone,” Eric Babolat tells me. “We are very happy to continue a relationship with Carlitos, which started 10 years ago.”

Alcaraz says the aspect of joy is important to his game. “I bring my best tennis on court when I smile and enjoy it,” he says. “Of course, being [at this level] is something I have dreamed of when I was really, really young. When I step on the court, I forget about everything and just go and enjoy it. It is something I am trying to enjoy very much.”

Signing such a lengthy extension is part of the family feel of the nearly 150-year-old brand and shows the confidence Alcaraz has in Babaolat and the significance Babolat sees in Alcaraz. “We know his family, we know the values and that is important,” Eric Babolat says. “His values are solid and that is what we need. We do things at Babolat with a long-term perspective. We want Carlos to be there for a long time and that is why it was important to sign him for a longer period of time. We are his equipment company, no question.”

Having that long-term extension gives Alcaraz a peace of mind too, even if he focuses more on the actual tennis than the nuts and bolts of contract negotiations. “I’ve been playing for 10 years with Babolat,” he says. “I never think about changing. Knowing I am going to play for the next seven years is going to be really helpful for my mind and not to be worried about something else.”

Alcaraz has already worked with the Babolat engineering team over the years and expects to continue. And while he says right now that he’s feeling great about his equipment, he’s also excited to see what the future may bring with the brand.

“We are the equipment for Carlos and for an equipment sport that is key,” Eric Babolat says. “It is important for him to feel 100% no doubt that the material he is playing with is appropriate.” Now the youngest world No. 1 in history, Eric Babolat says it is exciting to see such a young player so complete at his age and loving what he is doing.

Having a young face able to help lead the Pure Aero line—and a key face of the control-oriented side of the spin-focused Pure Aero 98 frame—has already been a boost for the brand. Retail shops tell Eric Babolat that players come in asking for the Alcaraz frame, as they do with Rafael Nadal. “The Aero was born with Nadal when Nadal wanted more spin and spin and spin,” Eric Babolat says. “When Nadal arrived, it changed the game. I think Carlos is doing the same now.”

That’s why Alacraz continually works with the brand during the offseason to refine the frame.

When asked about his dream colorway of the Pure Aero 98, Alcaraz stayed true to his personality, the same personality that has attracted fans worldwide and helped him reach the top spot in men’s tennis. “That is tough for me, but I’d say I’d put blue on it,” he says. “Blue for sure, let’s say happy colors.” Happy, indeed.