The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has announced that the Roland Garros eSeries will return for a seventh consecutive year after citing a “growing appetite” from fans and viewers.
Starting 25 May 2024, the esports tournament will feature eight competitors on the Final Stage for a chance to win the championship, with a prize pool of €5,000.
Hailed as the world’s largest eTennis tournament, last year’s tournament featured over 400,000 players participating in the Open Qualifiers from 217 territories and record-breaking audiences during the Final Stage.
For the past two years, the Roland Garros eSeries by Renault has been held on the mobile game Tennis Clash, which has gained over 150 million downloads and five million monthly active users.
Gilles Simon, former pro-tennis player turned esports player, stated: “I’m so excited to be invited to take part in this esport Final Stage. It allows me to make the link between tennis and video games, which have always been my two great passions. It’s a huge challenge for me, but I’m up for it!.”
Through its support to Handigamers, Roland-Garros eSeries reaffirms its ambition to be the most inclusive eTennis tournament.
Additionally, each qualified player will have the opportunity to be supported by a dedicated esport team on the journey to the Final Stage, with the participation of Gameward, the official resident club of Boulogne-Billancourt having current captain of the French Billie Jean King Cup team as Sports Director, Julien Benneteau. In that manner, players will benefit from one of the best performance ecosystems in France.
Renault has also become the presenting partner of Roland-Garros eSeries, showcasing its commitment to the growing presence of esports on the French and international sports scene.
Stéphane Barbat, Renault Global Marketing Partnership Director, said: “We are very proud to become the title partner of Roland-Garros eSeries and to support the development of this esport competition. Video gaming has become an inevitable intergenerational activity and a popular brand like Renault naturally finds its place in it.
“For this occasion, we will provide Tennis Cash players with exclusive racket strings branded with Renault 5 colours, allowing them to boost their stamina and strength attributes. “
