FIRST SERVE: Lacoste announced Thursday it has signed on to be a premium partner of the Rolex Paris Masters tennis tournament.
The partnership will kick off at the next edition of the tournament, running from Saturday to Nov. 3 at Paris’ Accor Arena complex.
The financial terms of the deal, which runs until 2030, were not disclosed.
“Rooted in tradition and elegance, this collaboration, which is built for the long term, simply feels like a natural fit,” the tournament’s director Cédric Pioline said in a statement announcing the deal. “A unique and rich relationship indeed connects the French Tennis Federation with the crocodile brand.”
Lacoste chief executive officer Thierry Guibert expressed pride in the partnership, which “perfectly aligns with the sporting legacy initiated by our founder, René Lacoste, a tennis legend, fashion icon, and inventor,” he declared. “Lacoste and tennis are inseparable, and we are delighted to further strengthen the bond that unites us today.”
The tennis-centric brand will be providing the uniforms for ball kids, line judges and all children accompanying players for their court entry as part of the “Dream Entrance” operation.
Additionally, two dedicated corners will sell pieces from Lacoste’s collections. A capsule collection of polos, T-shirts and branded caps featuring the logos of both organizations will be released this year. A full co-branded collection is slated for 2025.
An annual tournament for male professional players held since 1969 in Paris, the Rolex Paris Masters is part of the Masters 1000 series on the ATP Tour. Star player Novak Djokovic emerged as the singles champion at the 2023 edition, his seventh win in the category.
Lacoste has previously formed partnerships with other tournaments in the ATP Masters 1000 series, in Miami in 2015 and Madrid in 2023. It recently renewed its long-standing partnership with the Roland-Garros French Open tournament and is an official partner of the French Tennis Federation.
This comes as a number of luxury groups have been deepening their ties to sports, including LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s multi-brand Formula 1 deal and Chanel becoming the title sponsor and timekeeper of the annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge in the U.K.
