When Your Sponsor Calls You Out for Selling Trash Tennis Racquets at Ferrari Prices

By Lewis Barnett 6 July, 2025 5 mins read 26 Views

Well, this is awkward.

Holger Rune just learned the hard way that maybe—just maybe—charging five grand for broken tennis equipment isn't the smartest business move when your racquet sponsor is watching. The 22-year-old Danish player got himself into proper hot water this week after Babolat basically told him to knock it off with the whole "premium garbage" sales strategy.

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The £5K Disaster That Backfired Spectacularly

So here's what happened. Rune launches this online shop recently, right? Most of the stuff is pretty reasonable—signed gear for around £150, which honestly isn't terrible for tennis memorabilia. But then someone (probably not his PR team) decided it would be brilliant to list broken racquets for approximately £5,000 each.

Five. Thousand. Pounds. For broken equipment.

I mean, I get it—sports memorabilia can be valuable. But there's a difference between "game-worn jersey from championship match" and "literally unusable piece of sports equipment that someone rage-smashed during a tantrum." The audacity is almost impressive.

Babolat Wasn't Having It

Marion Cornu from Babolat dropped the corporate equivalent of a reality check earlier this week. She told Clay Magazine: "It's not our intention to promote broken racquets. We're in talks with his agent. Obviously, it's not our intention to promote broken racquets."

Notice how she said it twice? That's corporate speak for "we are absolutely not okay with this nonsense."

Poor Rune. His team probably scrambled faster than a Wimbledon ball boy after that statement went public. The broken racquets mysteriously vanished from his online shop, though apparently one sucker—sorry, collector—already bought one.

From Bad to Worse: The Wimbledon Meltdown

As if the sponsor drama wasn't enough, Rune's week got even messier at Wimbledon. The No. 8 seed managed to blow a two-set lead against qualifier Nicolas Jarry, losing 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 in round one.

But wait, it gets better. Instead of giving credit to his opponent, Rune basically said he'd beat Jarry "nine out of 10 times" if he played normally. Then blamed his knee injury for the loss.

Classy.

Listen, injuries happen. We get it. But maybe don't throw your opponent under the bus while you're explaining why you choked away a two-set lead at a Grand Slam. Just a thought.

The Charity Angle (Because Of Course)

Oh, and here's the kicker—Rune's online shop mentions that "part of the profits" go to charity. Because nothing says charitable giving like marking up broken sports equipment by 5,000% and calling it philanthropy.

I'm genuinely curious what percentage counts as "part of the profits." Is it 1%? 10%? The vague wording feels about as authentic as selling destroyed racquets as premium collectibles.

What This Really Means

This whole situation is like watching someone step on a rake in slow motion. Rune's team should have seen this coming from miles away. When your main sponsor makes the equipment you're selling as "broken luxury items," maybe run that business idea past them first?

The fact that Babolat had to publicly distance themselves from their own sponsored player says everything about how badly this was handled. These sponsorship deals are worth serious money, and brands don't appreciate being associated with what looks like a cash grab.

Now Rune's stuck dealing with sponsor drama, a first-round Wimbledon exit, and the internet laughing at his £5,000 tennis racquet graveyard. That's what we call a rough week at the office.

At least he's got those caps and kits still for sale. Assuming Babolat doesn't have opinions about those too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What role does video analysis play in training top tennis players?

Video analysis can be a valuable tool to train and develop top tennis players. It allows a detailed analysis of opponent patterns, technique, and match play. Coaches and athletes use video analysis to break down strokes, pinpoint improvement areas, and strategize with future opponents. It can also help to recognize habits and patterns that are often overlooked in the heat of competition. This allows for more effective and focused practice sessions.

What support team should a top tennis athlete have?

Tennis players need a solid support team in order to perform at their best. This team typically includes a head coach to oversee training and technical development, a fitness trainer for physical conditioning, a physiotherapist or medical professional for injury prevention and management, a sports psychologist for mental coaching, and a nutritionist to advise on diet. A hitting partner, an agent or manager, and sometimes a "stringer" can be included in the team to ensure the player is able to concentrate solely on their game.

How do mental and psychological aspects factor into tennis training?

Tennis players must be mentally and psychologically fit. Tennis players must learn how to handle stress, focus and the emotional highs or lows that come with competition. Many players use techniques such as mental rehearsals, visualization and goal-setting. A sports psychologist can assist players in building resilience, developing coping strategies to deal with pressure, and elevating their mental game so that it matches their physical prowess.

What is a typical tennis player’s daily training routine?

Tennis players have an intense and structured daily routine. It is often a long day on the courts, focusing on tactics, drills, and match-play situations. Aside from fitness training, players also engage in flexibility and recovery sessions, including stretching, massage or physiotherapy. Nutrition and psychological coaching play a major role in ensuring that athletes perform at their best both physically and mentally.

What type fitness training is most important for tennis athletes?

Tennis is a physically demanding sport that requires a combination of aerobic endurance, anaerobic fitness, speed, strength, and power. Tennis fitness training involves cardiovascular exercises that improve endurance and strength, plyometrics exercises and explosive movements for speed and power as well as agility exercises designed to improve footwork. Exercises that improve core stability and balance are essential to building the endurance and coordination needed for tennis.

Statistics

Persistent mental training and sports psychology can help reduce performance anxiety by up to 60%, according to sports psychologists working with elite athletes.
On average, it's estimated that only 1 in 5000 high-level junior tennis players will develop into internationally ranked professionals.
Research indicates that junior tennis players who compete in international tournaments gain significant psychological advantage and experience, with participation leading to a 50% better transition into professional rankings.
Top tennis players typically train for 4 to 6 hours per day, divided between on-court practice and fitness training.
Strength and conditioning coaches emphasize core strength, noting that an increase in core stability can improve shot accuracy by up to 43%.

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How To

How to master your Tennis footwork and court movements

Mastering your tennis footwork starts with conditioning. You can improve your lateral and line movements by incorporating agility exercises, such as cone drills and ladders drills, into your training. Split-stepping is a technique that involves hopping quickly as your opponent strikes the ball. It will help you move on to your next step more quickly. By incorporating dynamic drills which mimic matchplay scenarios, you can improve your ability to recover quickly after each shot. Balance and coordination exercises should be the focus of your training. During match play, you should be conscious of your movements and try to get into the best possible position to allow yourself to comfortably hit each ball.