Copyright Forbes
Lululemon’s latest move in establishing a presence in tennis is arguably its most monumental yet. The brand has partnered with the BNP Paribas Open, the largest tennis tournament in the world outside of the four majors, as the tournament’s new official apparel and footwear outfitter. Come March in the California desert, expect Lululemon aplenty with fresh outfits for the roughly 2,000 tournament volunteers, ball kids and officials, a robust home in the main tournament merchandise tent, an experience-focused Lululemon tent in the heart of the site and a Lululemon day at the tournament amidst the busy middle weekend. “Oh, we are so excited,” Celeste Burgoyne, Lululemon president of the Americas and global guest innovation, tells me. “[The tournament] is just such a cool environment. It has a really authentic vibe, and the players bring their full personality early on in the tour. It is an incredible event from a player and fan perspective.” As someone who personally loves tennis and has attended the Indian Wells event for years, Burgoyne says that as the Canadian-based brand continues to focus on the sport, partnering with a tournament that welcomes over 500,000 fans annually—and one that is routinely voted as a best tournament by players—offers a major moment for Lululemon to deliver product and give guests access to the brand. MORE FOR YOU Lululemon strategically looks at five key activities, focusing on yoga, run and train as the core three that helped launch the brand. Tennis and golf, though, are quickly pushing higher on the priority list and she says the focus now allows the brand to “really be able to show up and do things we haven’t done before” in the sport. In 2025, Lululemon announced a sponsorship deal with American tennis star Frances Tiafoe to go along with sponsorships of Canadian Laylah Fernandez and American Ethan Quinn. The brand also took over a retail site on the grounds of the U.S. Open for the first time. At Indian Wells, Burgoyne says fans will see plenty of Lululemon tennis product. “We are really proud of the tennis gear we create today for our guest,” she says. “This brings an opportunity to bring the collection to life with the most avid fans out there. You will see incredible tennis collections and then pieces that layer on top of that. The fans will see tons of our items that week they can bring home with them.” Philippe Dore, BNP Paribas Open chief marketing officer, tells me that signing with Lululemon fits the tournament’s goal of being unique, pushing the envelope and having fun. “It is a fun partnership,” he says. “It is different. It’s what we do and a natural fit.” By having product ready for the volunteers and ball kids, co-branded product with the tournament and then both tennis and lifestyle gear available across the site, Burgoyne says there are plenty of avenues to embrace fans. Opening the U.S. Open shop was not only a “really proud moment for us,” but Burgoyne says they were happy with the results and the way they learned from the experience, something they’ll bring to Indian Wells. In-store experiences and interactive opportunities within the New York space proved important. “You’ll see more of that,” Burgoyne says about Indian Wells. In New York, Lululemon also did fun fan interaction moments with their players serving as undercover workers in the store, so Burgoyne hopes to get the players involved somehow at Indian Wells. “We definitely will engage our athletes, ambassadors and educators in really fun and cool ways,” she says. But don’t forget about the product. “The beauty of tennis tournaments is they start earlyish and go through the night,” Burgoyne says. “People need layers. They want a memento from the event and sometimes they just forgot the perfect sweatshirt. We know we will be able to solve all those needs.” Dore says the combination of casual fans and hardcore tennis players at the laid-back tournament atmosphere fits Lululemon well, with its mix of lifestyle and performance product. “It is exciting to have these brands reaching out to us,” Dore says, adding it allows for a fresh new look. “The event is growing and brands like this are taking notice.” He’s especially excited for the official tournament gear, both for the volunteers and ball kids, but also for the fans. “It is quality stuff,” he says, “and very subtle. It is a really good brand match for us. We are excited about the co-branding and products our fans will purchase on site.” The tournament’s Lululemon Day will occur on the middle Sunday, one of the busiest of the event. While Burgoyne says they haven’t finalized the details, “it is a day we will not take lightly, for sure.” The announcement really solidifies the seriousness of Lululemon in the sport. “I think this is a really incredible moment now for Lululemon in a place of pushing us even more in tennis and how we show up,” Burgoyne says. “There is lots of intentionality through the experience and I hope some surprises. This has been an awesome partnership so far and we are excited to bring it fully to life. Both sides are excited and Lululemon is ready to show up on one of the world’s premier tennis stages.”
