- On Saturday, 28 May, BNP Paribas set out the international ambitions of its Young Talents Teams, which already support 150 young athletes across 7 teams in 6 countries.
- Justine Hénin, representing Belgium, and Mariusz Fyrstenberg, representing Poland, became mentors of two new teams, joining the likes of John McEnroe (Team USA) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Team France) and Tathiana Garbin (Team Italy).
- Since it was founded in 2018, the BNP Paribas Young Talents Teams initiative has helped talented young athletes go all the way, by providing financial aid and the right team to get behind them.
- BNP Paribas also announced the launch of a charity initiative: for every point scored by a member of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Teams on the ATP, WTA and ITF Wheelchair professional circuits, BNP will donate €1 towards projects supporting the inclusion of young people.
“Today, we are very proud to add two new teams to this initiative that means so much to us. This was made possible by our outstanding mentors, without whom we would not have been able to continue expanding the scheme internationally. Our Young Talents Teams perfectly illustrate not only BNP Paribas’ longstanding support for tennis, but also how our bank is committed to equal opportunities.”
Bertrand Cizeau, Head of Group Communications and
Deputy Head of Company Engagement at BNP Paribas
150 young talents worldwide supported by BNP Paribas
“It’s important to have a partner that’s shown longstanding commitment to tennis, such as BNP Paribas, to make this type of programme reality. Together, we want to make tennis as accessible as possible. My dream is that one day we’ll make a Wimbledon, US Open or Roland-Garros champion out of a kid from New York city!”
John McEnroe, mentor of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Team United States
BNP Paribas was at Roland-Garros stadium on Saturday, 28 May to unveil its new ambitions for its
Young Talents Teams. In attendance were 40 young talents and their mentors.
After success in France, the United States and Italy, the programme is now being rolled out in two new countries:
- Belgium, with seven-times Grand Slam champion – and four-times Roland-Garros winner – Justine Hénin
- Poland, with Davis Cup team captain Mariusz Fyrstenberg
“I would like to thank BNP Paribas for the trust they have put in me. We are delighted that Belgium can be part of the programme. It is a huge honour to be able to provide more support to certain players. It’s the type of help that’s extremely valuable, we will do our best to honour your trust.”
Justine Hénin, mentor of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Team Belgium
Justine Hénin and Mariusz Fyrstenberg join the likes of John McEnroe, mentor of BNP Paribas Young Talents Team USA, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, mentor of Team France and Tathiana Garbin, mentor of Team Italy.
“This programme means a great deal to me as it can help young people fulfil their dreams. It’s the type of support I’d have loved to get when I was younger. Helping all these young people gives me such a boost. To me, they’re a bit like my family.”
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, mentor of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Team France
Through these progammes aimed at young people, BNP Paribas continues to make tennis accessible to as many people as possible. Besides these five teams that raise the profile of tennis and equal opportunities worldwide, two new programmes have got underway to boost inclusion through high-level tennis:
- Team BNP Paribas Kids Fête le Mur, sponsored by Yannick Noah, offers young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods the chance to try tennis at the highest level and use it as a building block to plan their future.
- The Rising Star programme by BNP Paribas in South Africa with Kevin Anderson gives South African school pupils the chance to get tennis training and take part in special competitions.
Every point counts: 1 point = €1 towards a child’s holiday
Every point scored by a member of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Teams on the professional circuit helps finance a project supporting youth inclusion. This project will give 50 French young people, accompanied by the Apprentis d’Auteuil Foundation, the opportunity to go on holiday, where they will take part in tennis lessons organized in cooperation with the FFT, as well as other sporting and cultural activities (basketball, rollerblading, film, etc.).
Every year, points are calculated across all ATP, WTA and Grand Slam tournaments, as well as the ITF Wheelchair tournaments for wheelchair tennis players.
Launched at Roland-Garros in 2022, the project has already racked up 637 points following impressive performances by Diane Parry (who defeated 2021 Roland-Garros women’s champion and world no. 2 Barbora Krejčíková in the first round) and Elsa Jacquemot (who defeated Heather Watson in the first round).
“I’m proud to be a member of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Team.
This charitable project gives us a chance to really step up. When we’re on court,
it gives us the extra drive we need to score as many points as possible –
not just for ourselves, but also for the kids.”
Arthur Cazaux, a member of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Team France
Young Talents set their sights on the juniors’ titles
In parallel, the draw for the juniors’ tournament was unveiled in the BNP Paribas area, giving eight young talents from the BNP Paribas Teams a chance at the juniors’ titles.
These young athletes will follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, including recent champs Elsa Jacquemot in 2020 and Luca Van Assche in 2021.
Press contacts:
Agence July29 Sports Management
Sophie Kamoun – sophie [at] july29 (dot) fr – +33 (0)6 07 11 42 21
Alexandre Barthelemy – alexandre [at] july29 (dot) fr – +33 (0)6 19 54 42 65