Babolat rallies badminton enthusiasts across China

Amid the strengthening of China-France relations, French President Emmanuel Macron's ongoing visit to China has unlocked new opportunities for innovative cooperation between the two nations.

Babolat, a century-old French sports brand and the first international racket sports brand to establish its global badminton hub in China, is spearheading a Sino-French dialogue on innovation in professional sports through its global New Play strategy.

Nie Song, Global Badminton Business Leader of Babolat group, highlighted that in the context of growing China-France collaboration, the group is merging France's rich artisanal heritage and cutting-edge technology with China's innovative dynamism.

"The New Play strategy aims to cater to a new generation of sports enthusiasts who desire both professional performance and aesthetic expression, enabling them to seamlessly blend style and competitive excellence in their athletic pursuits," Nie said.

On Aug 16, 2025, Babolat showcased this strategy in Changsha, Hunan province, aiming to harness the city's distinctive entertainment culture to create an atmosphere of enthusiastic participation and youthful energy, while sharing the strategy with a wider audience.

In its efforts to digitalize and engage with younger audiences, New Play's user-generated content campaigns and brand ambassador selection programs have resonated with badminton fans, solidifying its effect in the sports community.

"Through Chinese social platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin, we gather original content from users, uncovering potential new ways to play, socialize, and experience the sport from the perspective of enthusiasts," Nie said. "This embodies our vision of Play, Live & Experience, breaking boundaries from professional competition only to French sports aesthetics."

The initiative also aims to showcase badminton's charm, making the sport more diverse, engaging and vibrant for a broader audience, she added.

Based in Shanghai, Babolat's global badminton center serves as the core platform for executing the New Play strategy. It functions as a testing ground for integrating Sino-French sports technology and innovation, beyond being the group's research hub in Asia.

"New Play represents our forward-thinking approach to the evolving trends in professional sports," Nie emphasized. "It encompasses continuous technological breakthroughs and innovative explorations in cultural expression."

In the Chinese market, Babolat has localized this strategic vision through digital interactive experiences and cross-border innovation practices. Beyond localization, New Play serves as a catalyst for global expansion. It adopts a differentiated approach, including gaining insights into young consumer groups, to navigate traditional brand competition landscapes while integrating the overseas expansion expertise of Chinese enterprises.

To translate its strategic vision into tangible cross-cultural exchanges, Babolat has leveraged key international and bilateral milestones to deepen Sino-French sports cooperation. This year, as part of the group's global celebrations for its 150th anniversary, Babolat continued its Energy Tour in Chinese cities such as Beijing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Changsha. These events aim to strengthen sports and cultural exchanges between China and France.

On courts across continents, Babolat energizes all racket sports — tennis, badminton, padel, and pickleball — bringing its 150 years of youth passion to every game.

Looking ahead, Babolat will continue to deepen its three-pronged strategy of "French heritage, Chinese innovation and global perspective", continuously advancing product and technological innovation, optimizing omnichannel consumer experiences, and strengthening connections within professional communities.

Seizing the opportunity presented by Macron's visit and the new phase of China-France relations, Babolat plans to expand its cooperation ecosystem, transforming the Shanghai Global Badminton Center into a globally influential hub for the creativity.

Additionally, it is committed to elevating professional sports equipment to higher technical and aesthetic standards, aiming to play a more pivotal role as a bridge in China-France sports industry cooperation.

As China-France collaboration enters a new era, this French brand is injecting fresh momentum into the high-quality development of the sports industry in both nations through its distinctive innovative practices, writing a new chapter of Sino-French cooperation in the field of professional sports.