Expands ‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents’ Program to More Than 150 Players Across Six Countries

The Bank Celebrates 50 Years Championing Tennis and its Social Impact for Future Generations

BNP Paribas, Europe’s leading financial institution and a global sponsor of tennis, and Académie Aliassime today announces the launch of ‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents Aliassime’ (Team BNPP Aliassime). The program helps the most promising and deserving young talents in Canada reach the next level with financial assistance to access international tennis competitions and intensive training under the direct supervision of Sam Aliassime, father of Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP World No. 9). Team BNPP Aliassime is introduced at the BNP Paribas Open as the Bank celebrates 50 years of commitment to tennis and its power to mobilize for the good of society and its youth.

Team BNPP Aliassime is the latest in the ‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents’ roster which began in 2018 with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in France. Since then, the Bank has partnered with Yannick Noah, John and Patrick McEnroe (Team BNPP Mac 1), Justine Henin and others to form teams across France, the United States, Italy, Poland and Belgium. The global program provides human and financial support to 150 talented young athletes, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, on their path to professional careers. Players are granted the opportunity to train under the direct supervision of tennis professionals and legends.

The launch of Team BNPP Aliassime takes place at the BNP Paribas Open, the largest combined ATP and WTA Tour two-week event in the world. This expansion of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Team roster in the Americas will be celebrated with an exhibition match including Team BNPP Aliassime and Team BNPP Mac 1 youth players and their mentors:

• Félix Auger-Aliassime, ATP Tour player (ATP World No. 9)
• Sam Aliassime, Founder and Director of Académie Aliassime
• John McEnroe, Founder and Director of JMTA
• Patrick McEnroe, Co-Director of JMTA and President of JMTP
• Jean Yves Fillion, CEO of BNP Paribas USA
• Sonja Volpe, CEO of BNP Paribas in Canada

Team BNPP Aliassime includes 12 boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 14 from home countries including Cameroon, Canada, France and Madagascar. The players are recruited from among the most talented students currently enrolled in Académie Aliassime in Quebec City, Canada, with annual try-outs. Participants are selected based on both tennis and athletic criteria (results and future potential) and more general and ethical criteria, including attitude, team-involvement and academic results.

BNP Paribas also supports Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP World No. 9) in his commitment to a cause that is close to his heart – building a better future for youth in the West-African nation of Togo, his father’s home country. #FAAPoints4Change will finance the EduChange initiative which is coordinated by CARE, the non-governmental organization, to improve the conditions of young people in the Kara region of Togo. The project focuses on the protection of children’s rights, access to education and sport. Félix Auger-Aliassime has pledged to donate $5 for each point he wins and BNP Paribas will match with $15 per point.

Sam Aliassime, Founder and Director of Académie Aliassime, said: “We chose to join the BNP Paribas Young Talent Team roster because of the bank’s focus on inclusivity and social responsibility. Together with BNP Paribas, Académie Aliassime can now give young tennis players the opportunity to compete on the world stage and have the right support in place to handle the rigor and demands of collegiate and professional tennis.”

Sonja Volpe, CEO of BNP Paribas in Canada, said: “BNP Paribas is proud to collaborate with Académie Aliassime to help promote accessibility, inclusivity, and empowerment to young tennis players. We recognize the importance of investing in individual skills development as we are ourselves deeply committed to supporting the future growth of talents. We are thrilled to partner with an organization that encourages inclusive leadership through sport.”

Jean-Yves Fillion, CEO of BNP Paribas USA, said: “BNP Paribas is now the world’s leading tennis partner with a long history of supporting the sport going back to 1973. In the Americas, we are proud to be working with Sam and Felix to help up-and-coming boys and girls reach their full potential and join the ranks of world-class tennis players. We remain committed to the sport and our social responsibility to change young lives by removing the racial, social and economic barriers to success through tennis initiatives like Team BNPP Aliassime.”

‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents’ players are supported in their on- and off-court training as they progress to new and greater heights. They are also provided financial assistance to allow intensive, year-round training and access to international competitions. In addition, they benefit from personal assistance in preparing for the demands of collegiate and professional tennis including image management, educational success, literacy, life-skills and more.

BNP Paribas supports over 150 deserving young tennis players through its ‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents' programs across Canada (with Sam Aliassime and Académie Aliassime), the United States (with John and Patrick McEnroe and the JMTA), France (with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the French Tennis Federation), Italy, Poland and Belgium.

About the Aliassime Academy

With history dating from 1975, the Aliassime Academy is the leading tennis academy in Quebec City, Canada. In 1990, the Academy took a competitive turn by founding Quebec City’s first full-time tennis-study program and has since earned awards at the national level. The Academy’s mission is to share its passion for tennis with players of all ages, levels, and backgrounds. It aims for excellence while promoting fundamental values such as respect, discipline, work ethics, and determination.

About the BNP Paribas Open

The BNP Paribas Open is the largest combined ATP Tour Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tennis event in the world. The BNP Paribas Open has been named Tournament of the Year by both the WTA and the ATP Tour for a record-setting eight years. The 2023 BNP Paribas Open will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 6 – 19, 2023.

BNP Paribas Championing Tomorrow’s Tennis for 50 years

For 50 years, our history and actions have demonstrated how tennis has the capacity to mobilize people beyond the sport and have a social impact, especially for younger generations. We believe that tennis is bigger when it is inclusive and focused on youth. That is why, on 50^th anniversary of our loyalty to the sport and commitment to its social impact since inception, we will highlight how tennis has the power to inspire players and fans for the good of society and its youth.

About BNP Paribas & Tennis

BNP Paribas is one of the major worldwide partners to tennis, with an unrivalled commitment to sport, going back to 1973. The Group’s support covers all levels and dimensions of the game all over the world, including singles, doubles, team tennis, wheelchair tennis and family tennis, ranging from beginners’ training to top professional tournaments:

• Professional Tennis: Official sponsor of the French Open at Roland-Garros; title sponsor of three ATP Masters 1000 tournaments – the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Italian Open) in Rome; partner to the Open 13 (Marseille), the Open Parc de Lyon Open, the Metz Moselle Open, Queens Championships ; TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open, BNP Paribas Poland Open
• Wheelchair Tennis: BNP Paribas World Team Cup; French Riviera Open; WJP Challenge Tennis, Swiss Open Genève
• Junior & University Tennis and Academies: Master’U BNP Paribas
• Amateur Tennis: Sponsors of the BNP Paribas Family Trophy; also supporting over 1,000 amateur tournaments around the world
• The younger generations: BNP Paribas supports over 150 deserving young tennis and wheelchair tennis players, through its 'Team BNP Paribas Young Talents' programs in France (with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the French Tennis Federation), the United States (with John and Patrick McEnroe), Italy, Belgium, Poland and Canada; also partner of the Roland-Garros ball-kids selections for over 20 years
• Solidarity Tennis: Supporting a number of original tennis related social engagement projects, through partnerships with more than 20 national tennis federations and dozens of tennis-based charity organisations: ‘#FAAPointsForChange‘ with Felix Auger-Aliassime; ‘Fête le Mur’ with Yannick Noah; the ‘Aces Du Cœur‘ charity program for hospitalized children; the ‘Sound of Tennis‘ initiative for visually impaired athletes in the United States; the Israel Wheelchair Tennis Project
• Tennis e-sport: ‘Roland-Garros e-Series by BNP Paribas’, an e-sport tournament played all over the world as part of the ‘Tennis World Tour’ video game
• Employee tennis: the ‘BNP Paribas We Are Tennis Cup’ is one of the largest global employee tennis tournaments in the world (3,500 participants each year)

Having entered into all these partnerships, in 2011 BNP Paribas set up a program called ‘We Are Tennis’, with the purpose to promote interest in the game of tennis all over the world. The wearetennis.com website and its social network accounts bring together a community of tennis lovers and dedicated fans from all continents who are keen to obtain the latest news from the ATP, WTA and ITF circuits. Furthermore, in 2015 BNP Paribas created the ‘We Are Tennis Fan Academy’, which enables fans to express their passion for tennis as never before.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 65 countries and has more than 190,000 employees, including nearly 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Retail Banking for the Group’s retail-banking networks and several specialized businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realize their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance.

In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, Eastern Europe as well as via a large network in the western part of the United States. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.

BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability.

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