Press release - 25 April 2024

BABOLAT PURE DRIVE, A LEGENDARY 30-YEAR-OLD RACQUET!

For the 30th anniversary of the "Pure Drive", the iconic racquet made famous by five world number ones especially (Carlos Moya, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Karolina Pliskova, Garbine Muguruza), Babolat is releasing a limited edition exploring different shades of blue, creating a unique design for each of the 30,000 racquets available.

30 years of success, 30 years of power, 30 years of blue. The Pure Drive is thirty years old, so it deserves a special anniversary. To celebrate, Babolat is releasing a limited edition of the legendary racquet launched in 1994 which revolutionised the game and broke conventions for its versatility and natural power. Founded in 1875, the brand started out designing and producing frames, establishing innovation as an essential part of the Babolat brand.

An iconic model, the PureDrive has been constantly reinvented (with 11 versions prior to this limitededition), not simply to respond to players' needs and how the game has evolved,but because Babolat has always been good at setting new trends. This is stillthe case today with this series, which uses a unique manufacturing process.

This limited edition respects the essence of the Pure Drive, thetriptych of power-manoeuvrability and versatility - and a colour code that issymbolic of a very strong identity. This time, the legendary blue is given anew dimension, by combining different shades of this colour.

The success of the Pure Drive has spread far and wide, and has stood the test of time. Carlos Moya, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza have all exploded into the world number one ranking (singles) with this racquet. When you add Li Na and Sofia Kenin to this stellar list, 10 Grand Slam singles titles have been clinched by Babolat with its Pure Drive, not to mention doubles wins like Roger Vasselin-Benneteau.

Arthur Cazaux, Clara Burel and Jerry Shang were not yet born when Babolat flooded the circuit as well as the market with the Pure Drive in 1994. The two young French players and the rising star of Chinese tennis are now the ambassadors of a model that hasn't aged a day, as it is regularly revamped, and it's also the racquet that Fabio Fognini, Jordan Thompson, Taro Daniel and Yosuke Watanuki choose to play with. It's a major asset for them and something Babolat is proud of.

 THE 30-YEAR LIMITED EDITION

A combination of power, versatility and manoeuvrability - that's what Pure Drive is all about. The limited edition created to mark the franchise's 30th anniversary has remained faithful to this, providing the perfect fit for club players and the circuit's greatest talents alike, adapting to each player's needs and delivering incredible performance. The Pure Drive 30Ans is universal, with a neutral balance and a 645 cm2 head size, just like all its predecessors. It features the latest-generation technologies to deliver explosive power.

PURE DRIVE, AN ICONIC FRANCHISE THAT IS CONSTANTLY BEING REINVENTED

1994 model: After more than a century dedicated to the world of stringing and accessories, Babolat introduced its first ranges of tennis frames, the Pure and Soft ranges. A total of six racquets were created. Pure Drive made its appearance alongside the Pure Control and Pure Power. With its elliptical frame, Pure Drive revolutionised the world of square-framed tennis racquets. Initially launched in France, it was soon available in Spain (1995),Italy (1996), Austria (1997) and Germany (1998), before flooding the world market in Japan (1999) and the United States (2000).

1997 model: This was the model that Carlos Moya used to win the 1998French Open, after building up his confidence and winning trophies on clay in Monte Carlo and Rome. After more than 100 Grand Slam titles to the credit of their strings, this first Major title in Paris marked the start of a new era for Babolat. The Spanish player reached world number one in March 1999.

1999 model: The hero at Melbourne was Nicolas Escudé. Armed with his Pure Drive in the 2001 Davis Cup final, the Frenchman won both his singles matches and notably scored the 3^rd winning point for France, synonymous with the silver punchbowl. This 1999 model featured 'Woofer' technology for the first time - a special plastic component that creates a pulley and piston effect on the string, reinforcing the interaction between frame and string for greater power.

2002 model: Doubles for Babolat. With his Pure Drive 2002 racquet, Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open and became world number 1 in November of the same year. Kim Clijsters also ended the season at the top of the world rankings after her finals at Roland Garros and the US Open. This was the first time that a company could boast of having two world number ones playing with the same racquet at the end of the year. The Pure Drive effect. For the record, Andy Roddick used this 2002 model, fitted with a Pro Hurricane Tour & VS hybrid string, to break the serving speed record in 2004 (249 km/h).

2006 model: Introduction of Cortex V1 Technology. The Cortex System on this 2006 model is a revolutionary active technology located between the handle and the core of the racquet. This technology filters vibrations, enabling only the types of vibrations useful to the game to be retained, thus providing an optimal striking feel.

‍2009 model: Kim Clijsters won both the 2009 and 2010 US Opens and the 2011 Australian Open with this model. Li Na also became the first female Asian player in history to win a Grand Slam tournament, at Roland Garros in 2011, in front of a television audience of over 400 million. And the secret of her success? The Pure Drive 2009.

‍2012 model: A makeover and even better technology. The racquet now featured a gleaming black base colour with grey/blue aluminium details. This Pure Drive 2012 also now incorporated Cortex V2 technology (a 2.0 vibration disperser). Garbine Muguruza, a future Major winner and world number one, launched her professional career with this model in 2014, finishing in the quarter-finals of the French Open after beating Serena Williams, then the WTA's top-ranked player. In doubles, Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin each won the 2014 French Open with this Pure Drive racquet.

2014 Play model: A world innovation. With the 2014 Play model, Babolat created the first connected racquet, successfully overcoming the challenge of keeping the weight down despite the on-board technology. This racquet made it possible to track the numbers of forehands and backhands and measure ball spin and ball strike location. And all of this linked directly to a dedicated app. A breakthrough innovation from Babolat.

2015 Model: After analysing the data from the previous model, Babolat updated the Pure Drive 2015with a new string-spacing pattern more suited to players' strike zones. Garbine Muguruza won her first Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2016 with this racquet. Karolina Pliskova became world number one with this racquet in July 2017 after winning titles in Brisbane, Doha and Eastbourne and reaching the semi-finals of the French Open.

2018 model: Three simultaneous evolutions. The "Cortex Inside" technology is built directly into the handle of the racquet. SMAC technology, originating from the aerospace industry, and enabling vibrations to be filtered directly into the core of the racquet, is also incorporated into this 2018 model. Babolat finally unveiled a monochrome blue colour, emphasising the Pure Drive's iconic and distinctive blue. Fabio Fognini won the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 in 2019,and Sofia Kenin triumphed at the 2020 Australian Open, with a version that was aesthetically revamped to sport US colours.

2021 model: A new version of SMAC 2.0 was unveiled. Pure Drive 2021 features a gradient that expresses the duality of play, with one side dark and the other electric blue. At the end of the 2021 season, Garbine Muguruza won the Masters with this racquet, which is still being used on the circuit with just as much acclaim. At the start of the 2024 season, Arthur Cazaux (1/8 final) shone using this racquet at the Australian Open. Clara Burel also played in this first Major of the year. The two French players are the perfect embodiment of the new Pure Drive generation, along with Jerry Shang and Xinyu Wang. 

Babolat media contact: ShirleyRibeiro - shirley@zrcommunication.com