Anyone for eTennis? An interview with Roland-Garros' Aymeric Labaste

Aymeric Labaste, Director of International Development at Roland-Garros, speaks to PocketGamer.biz about the evolution and impact of the Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault.

In this exclusive interview. The conversation delves into the strategic motivations behind the event, its partnership with Tennis Clash, and the future plans for the eTennis competition. Labaste shares insights on reaching new audiences, measuring success, and the growing intersection of physical and digital sports for Roland-Garros - and tennis in general.

PocketGamer.biz: How does the eSeries fit into the overall strategy of Roland-Garros to expand its global brand and reach new audiences?

Aymeric Labaste: As one of the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments, Roland-Garros enjoys strong visibility among traditional tennis fans thanks to its nearly 100-year legacy. 

With Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault, our ambition has been to inject innovation into our brand’s DNA and to expand its reach on a global scale, especially among digital-native audiences. This year, over 515 thousand participants joined our three Open Qualifiers, playing more than 9.5 million matches on the virtual Central Court. For the first time, we also integrated official Roland-Garros music and French voice-over for the umpire, small details that add up to a truly immersive experience. 

Since the first edition in 2018, we’ve positioned Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault as the world’s biggest eTennis event. In 2022, we moved our competition onto the mobile game Tennis Clash, which is the perfect vehicle to connect with a broader audience through its arcade-style gameplay. As 50 percent of Tennis Clash users don’t play tennis in real life, it’s crucial for us that every player can experience the spirit of Roland-Garros from their smartphone/tablet in a fun & accessible way!

What were the key motivations behind partnering with Tennis Clash for the eSeries, and how does this collaboration align with the traditional values of Roland-Garros?

When we began our collaboration with Tennis Clash in 2022, we were already convinced that mobile was both the present and future of esports, with over 2.8 billion mobile gamers worldwide. Major publishers like Riot Games, Epic Games and PUBG had already launched mobile versions of their games to align with evolving consumer habits, a clear signal of the platform’s growing dominance.

Asia, in particular, has been leading the way, with mobile gaming deeply embedded in its gaming & esports culture. Tennis Clash, as the tennis video game with the largest community (i.e. over 170 million downloads), turned out to be the ideal partner to make our Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault truly accessible and inclusive on a global scale. In 2025, we had over 515 thousand participants from 221 different territories, proof of its worldwide appeal. Lastly, knowing that 52 percent of mobile gamers are women, it has also allowed us to connect with a more gender-balanced audience. The partnership with Tennis Clash reflects our ambition to stay true to Roland-Garros' core values - international, accessibility, inclusivity and excellence - while embracing new formats that bring the spirit of our tournament to life for a new generation of tennis fans.

Can you describe the evolution of the Roland-Garros eSeries since its inception? What have been some of the biggest successes and challenges?

When we launched the very first edition of Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault in 2018, one of our initial challenges was internal: convincing the top management of the French Tennis Federation that esports could be a powerful platform to promote the Roland-Garros brand globally.

Then, the biggest turning point came in 2022, when we partnered with Tennis Clash. Finding the right publisher sharing our ambitious vision to build a true eTennis ecosystem was essential, and that move proved to be a game changer for our tournament’s popularity (238 thousans participants in 2022). From there, bringing the right sponsors on board was essential to elevate the project and establish a strong marketing platform. Renault has supported the tournament since 2022, and Mastercard joined us in 2024. Their commitment has played a key role in helping us grow the competition into what it is today. 

Among our proudest achievements: surpassing half a million participants since 2024 and opening the Final Stage’s livestream to the public at Roland-Garros for the first time last year, creating an exciting new way for fans to engage with the event.

Another major milestone in 2025 is the participation of former tennis champions Gilles Simon & Marion Bartoli as ambassadors, a perfect symbol of how the worlds of tennis and eTennis can come together. This year, Gilles & Marion will each lead their own teams, as we introduce a team format for the first time. It’s great for the show, but also enriches the players’ experience, giving all finalists the chance to play as a team before the competition becomes individual again in the playoffs. 

What specific initiatives or features within the eSeries have been most effective in engaging new demographics, particularly younger or disengaged audiences in different regions/territories?

One of the most effective ways we’ve engaged new demographics, especially younger or previously disengaged audiences, has been through mobile-first accessibility. By partnering with Tennis Clash, we eliminated many traditional barriers to entry: no expensive hardware, no steep learning curve, just instant access from a smartphone or tablet. The format itself also helps: arcade-style gameplay, short matches, fast progression and an open & global qualifying system. In addition, livestreaming the Final Stage at Roland-Garros, on platforms consumed by Gen Z like Twitch or YouTube, was another key decision. The climax of our competition requires having the right lineup to deliver the best content to both core & casual tennis fans. For 2025, we’re going even further by broadcasting the event on the Roland-Garros YouTube channel for the first time. This allows us to reach a truly global audience, beyond the community of a single host streamer. It’s about making the competition accessible wherever fans are as well as delivering premium and immersive content, bridging the worlds of sport and esports.

How do you measure the success of the eSeries, and what metrics are most important to Roland-Garros in evaluating its impact?

We measure the success of Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault through a combination of participation, reach and media value. On the participation side, we track the number of players, matches played, and the diversity of territories represented. These metrics give us a strong sense of global engagement & accessibility. The livestream viewership of the Final Stage at Roland-Garros, both on Twitch & YouTube, is critical in evaluating how the competition resonates with fans, especially younger, digitally-native audiences. From a partner perspective, we closely monitor their visibility on Tennis Clash and across social media, as these platforms drive visibility and brand exposure for our sponsors like Renault and Mastercard. Ultimately, the media value generated for them is a crucial indicator of success. All together, these metrics help us assess how Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault is growing not only as a competition, but as a powerful storytelling and brand engagement platform for Roland-Garros.

How do you see the relationship between the physical and digital aspects of Roland-Garros evolving in the future?

Our competition is a powerful platform to promote our brand in a way that stands apart from traditional media. By immersing new audiences in the Roland-Garros universe through esports & live streaming, we’re not only growing brand affinity but we’re also inspiring more people to follow Roland-Garros and even give tennis a try. 

Both physical and digital aspects are essential to making Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault a true success. The Qualifying stage, with over half a million participants, builds momentum, but it’s the climax at Roland-Garros that gives the competition its prestige and emotional payoff. Our 8 finalists are invited to Paris for a full three-day experience, we feel proud to be the only eTennis competition offering such an immersive on-site experience. It starts with an exclusive esports training at GameWard, a professional French esports club, to ensure they’re all gaining skills and feeling like professional players for the Final Stage. Especially because it takes place in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers worldwide and a live audience at Roland-Garros.

All this adds pressure and excitement for these amateur players, more used to playing on their phones at home than under the spotlight. To round out the experience, the 8 finalists also receive tickets to the real Roland-Garros tournament on Central court, making their Parisian visit truly memorable. It’s also interesting to observe that many of the best Tennis Clash players are actually real-life tennis players, which gives them an edge since they already understand tennis strategies. While that knowledge certainly offers an advantage, it’s their ability to manage the nerves and leverage their mental game that often separates the winner from the rest!

What are your future plans for the eSeries, and how do you envision it growing and adapting in the coming years?

Our main objective is to maintain our leadership in the eTennis space while establishing ourselves as a true reference for esports within the global sports industry. To achieve this, we’re focused on reinforcing the Roland-Garros experience within the competition itself, while also creating a truly immersive journey for all stakeholders - participants, fans, streamers and ambassadors. Today, Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault stands as the world’s largest eTennis event, offering exclusive opportunities that set us apart. We provide the best Tennis Clash players with a unique 3-day, all-expenses-paid experience at Roland-Garros, along with prize money (€5,000 prize pool). These features not only elevate the prestige of the competition but also make it a truly compelling moment in the esports calendar. The event continues to grow, and we’re proud to see it becoming a must-attend for fans eager to experience the excitement of the Final Stage live at Roland-Garros. As the livestreaming world never stops evolving, we’re pushed to be even more creative in delivering, with our streamers, top-tier content and making sure our audience stays engaged. Looking ahead, I’m expecting to see even stronger connections between the worlds of tennis and eTennis. Many active and former professional tennis players already play video games while travelling on the Tour, and I’m convinced we’ll see more of them participating in esports competitions like ours - either as players or team captains - just like former top 10 stars Gilles Simon and Marion Bartoli this year. 

Could you share some insights into the global reach and participation in the eSeries, and how it compares to traditional tennis viewership or participation?

The logics of engagement behind eTennis and traditional tennis are fundamentally different, making direct comparisons somewhat irrelevant. Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault serves primarily as a marketing platform designed to promote the Roland-Garros brand in the months leading up to the real tournament in Paris. The Final Stage of our competition takes place the day before the Roland-Garros main draw begins, helping to build momentum and excitement around Roland-Garros. Our eTennis event is also enhancing the brand equity of Roland-Garros in terms of awareness and perception across different targeted markets. This is why we kick off the competition in early March, with 3 open qualifiers in March & April that engage participants long before Roland-Garros in Paris. By doing so, we create meaningful connections with our brand early on. Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault also allows us to reach a broader and more diverse audience, including those who may not traditionally be tennis fans but are drawn into the Roland-Garros universe through gaming. A key indicator of the global success of Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault is the number of matches played on our virtual Central Court within Tennis Clash: from 1.6 million in 2022 to 9.5 million in 2025, across 221 territories. It’s a strong signal of the rising popularity of our competition on a worldwide scale.