This year’s Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas, the biggest and most inclusive eTennis competition in the world, marks the addition of a mobile esports format.
The annual esports tournament has partnered with Tennis Clash, the world’s most popular mobile tennis game from Wildlife Studios, in order to give more eTennis enthusiasts the opportunity to compete in the tournament.
To be able to play the general public qualifying events, players must download the game and have unlocked Tour 3.
Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas, the biggest and most inclusive eTennis competition in the world, has today revealed details for the fifth edition of its annual esports tournament. This year marks the switch to a mobile esports format, partnering with the world’s most popular mobile tennis game, Tennis Clash, from Wildlife Studios. The event, organized by Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT), will see eight finalists progress from four separate qualifying events, to compete in a Grand Final at Roland-Garros itself on Saturday, May 21 to be crowned the eTennis world champion.
To mark the fifth anniversary of the tournament, FFT has increased its commitment to eTennis through a host of significant changes. This includes a switch to a mobile esports format played on Tennis Clash, the world’s leading mobile tennis video game. The video game, published by Wildlife Studios, has achieved 90M downloads across 241 countries, giving more eTennis enthusiasts the opportunity to compete in the tournament. To further entice players, the iconic Philippe-Chatrier court will be recreated for all matches within the game, they will also get the chance to purchase Roland-Garros strings to boost their character’s performance through the Tennis Clash store.
This year also brings changes to the format of the event, with four qualifying competitions offering eight players the chance to compete at Roland-Garros in the Grand Final. To further increase participation and diversity, Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas has partnered with Women in Games (WiG) France for one, female-only qualifying event. Women in Games, a not-for-profit organization that provides support for women and girls throughout the games industry, has a global network of more than 50,000 members and is active in 53 countries across the world. The partnership is designed to encourage more females to enter the illustrious tournament and guarantees two female competitors the chance to compete in the Grand Final.
Taking place alongside the WiG France female only qualifier will be a qualifying competition held in partnership with XP School (The International Esports & Gaming School). The final stage of both qualifying events will take place on Thursday, April 28, broadcast live on Twitch by popular French streamer Rivenzi, who will be joined by LittleBigWhale, and Ponce on the show. The four finalists from both qualifiers will also be offered a unique opportunity to further their pro-gaming careers through a two-day coaching experience organized by leading French esports organization, Team MCES, at its Gaming Centre in Marseille ahead of the Grand Final itself.
In addition, Roland-Garros eSeries by BNP Paribas will host two open general public qualifiers that are accessible to anyone in the world, with four additional Grand Final places on offer. The first qualifier will take place from Thursday, April 21 to Monday, April 25 with the second taking place from Thursday, April 28 to Monday, May 2.
BNP Paribas has once again returned as the main partner of the eTennis tournament – the only eTennis competition to be organised by one of the four Tennis Grand Slams – further showcasing its own commitment to eTennis. Joining BNP Paribas as a partner is Renault, which has been named an official partner of the event. Both BNP Paribas and Renault branding will be visible on the virtual Philippe-Chatrier Court, recreated in Tennis Clash.
