BNP Paribas Celebrates Tennis Excellence and Community Engagement at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open

Global Tennis Sponsor Supports the Accessibility of Tennis and Positively Impacts the Coachella Valley

BNP Paribas, Europe's leading financial institution and one of the foremost global sponsors of tennis, announces the start of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open and confirms its enduring commitment to the sport through numerous initiatives. BNP Paribas has supported tennis for over 50 years and aims to promote tennis at every level, including championing accessibility and inclusivity, as well as community programs and professional tournaments.

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BNP Paribas believes that tennis has the power to inspire and drive positive change in communities, and is committed to making the sport more accessible. During the 2026 tournament, the bank will implement various local programs that promote community engagement and support important causes, including youth development and education:

• BNP Paribas Open Scholarship Program: Celebrating its 11th anniversary, BNP Paribas is thrilled to expand its scholarship program, increasing the number of recipients from four to ten students from four local Coachella Valley high schools. The recipients will each be awarded $20,000 college grants during a ceremony hosted at La Quinta High School onMarch 12 They will also be congratulated during an on-court presentation at the BNP Paribas Open on March 14.
• Points for ChangeLaunched during the 2023 French Open, the "Points for Change" campaign transforms every point scored during all BNP Paribas-sponsored professional tournaments, including the BNP Paribas Open, into donations which benefit local groups by promoting education and inclusion through sport. For the third consecutive year, BNP Paribas Open's "Points For Change" initiative will donate to the non-profit Girls on the Run Riverside Chapter, serving Riverside and San Bernadino Counties. The final point total at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open was 26,361, resulting in $26,361 for Girls on the Run.
• FAAPointsForChange Since 2020, BNP Paribas has supported Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP World No. 7) in his commitment to building a better future for youth in the West African nation of Togo. Félix has pledged to donate $5 for each point he wins during the tournament and BNP Paribas will match with $15 per point. In 2025, the program evolved into college scholarships for excellence granted to 30 talented students from rural areas in Togo enabling them to succeed in higher education.
• Team BNP Paribas Young Talents, featuring Team Mac 1: Joining forces with the John McEnroe Tennis Academy to help the next generation of top-level tennis players reach their goals and dreams, this global program provides coaching and financial support to over 150 talented young athletes around the world on the path to professional careers. Players are granted the opportunity to train under the direct supervision of tennis professionals and legends. The program began in 2018 with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in France and in 2019 with John and Patrick McEnroe in the United States, which provides financial support and trains children 11-17 years old who have the potential to become tomorrow's champions. The Young Talents Group currently consists of 10 players.
• International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF): BNP Paribas is entering its second year of collaboration with the ITHF at the bank's display in the Sponsor Village of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. This year's interactive experience, Letters to Greatness, will be open to the public starting March 1. Fans are invited to record or write their messages of congratulations to the ITHF's Class of 2026 inductees, Roger Federer and Mary Carillo. On March 5 at 5 p.m., press is invited to attend as ITHF President Patrick McEnroe joins several Hall of Famers in the tent. Press interested in attending should contact [e-mail] to RSVP. BNP Paribas has been a long-term partner with the ITHF supporting the "Legends Ball" in NYC, the induction celebrations, as well as participating as a member of the group's board. The ITHF is a non-profit organization in Newport, Rhode Island, that preserves the history of tennis and celebrates its champions to inspire excellence across generations globally.
• Ticket Donation: BNP Paribas will again allocate a significant number of BNP Paribas Open tickets to local schools and nonprofit organizations to give young fans the opportunity to experience the thrill of live, professional tennis, a first for many.
• Activations at BNP Paribas Midtown NYC Headquarters and NJ Office: There are several initiatives, including a contest in which employees won the opportunity to attend the tournament as special correspondents; a new partnership with L'Ami Pierre (149 W 51^st Street at 6½ Avenue) showcasing Tennis Channel coverage and serving a signature coffee drink and themed pastries; and BNP Paribas Open branded merchandise in exchange for charitable donations for City Parks.

José Placido, CEO of BNP Paribas USA and CIB Americas said: "As a longstanding global sponsor of tennis, BNP Paribas is proud of our role in helping turn the Coachella Valley into the epicenter of the tennis universe where the best players in the world compete. Tennis is part of our DNA and a reflection of our values through our local and global philanthropic commitments we're able to support meaningful growth and ambition in tennis at all levels. I am grateful to all our employees and partners, who come together each year to ensure the success of this major tournament, and I look forward to enjoying two weeks of top-level tennis."

BNP Paribas collaborates with local organizations and schools to support and promote tennis as a sport for all. BNP Paribas recognizes the importance of accessible and inclusive sporting opportunities and aims to contribute to promoting tennis throughout the local community.

About BNP Paribas and tennis

BNP Paribas shares with tennis fans the love of this sport through a historic commitment that began in 1973 and applies to all levels of tennis worldwide: from tennis clubs to tournaments where the greatest players and players compete.

The diversity of BNP Paribas' commitments demonstrates the Group's passion for tennis, a true love story that has been growing steadily for more than 50 years. Here is a summary of its current anchors in all its dimensions.

• Professional tennis: main sponsor of Roland-Garros since 1973, sponsor of three ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome), of the Grand Prix Aurvergne Rhone Alpes in Lyon and of the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open in Bruxelles (ATP250), of the Strasbourg Internationals (WTA500) and of numerous Challenger tournaments in the secondary professional circuit.
• Tennis en Fauteuil: title partner of the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, partner of the French Riviera Open and the Swiss Open Geneva;
• University tennis: partner of the French University Sports Federation and the BNP Paribas Master'U since 1993;
• Amateur tennis: sponsor of the BNP Paribas Family trophy and National Tennis Cup trophy and partner of more than 1000 amateur tournaments supported by the bank worldwide;
• Corporate sports: The BNP Paribas internal tournament (We Are Tennis Cup) is one of the world's leading corporate sports events (3,500 participants each year).

BNP Paribas, a loyal supporter of tomorrow's tennis for more than 50 years, supports future generations in the belief that tennis is an even more influential sport when it is focused on youth.

• Supporting ambitious new generations:
  • BNP Paribas supports more than 150 young tennis and handi-tennis players in their career development, as part of its "Team BNP Paribas Young Talents" program in France (under the mentorship of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and in association with the French Tennis Federation), the United States (with John and Patrick McEnroe), Belgium (with Justine Henin), Canada (with Félix Auger-Aliassime) and Italy, Poland, and Japan.
  • BNP Paribas has also been a partner in the selection of Roland-Garros ball kids for 25 years. Since 2000, more than 6,000 young people have been able to realize their dream by participating in Roland-Garros as ball kids.
• Supporting a more inclusive, accessible and solidarity-based tennis: BNP Paribas is a creator and accelerator of social projects related to tennis alongside more than 20 national tennis federations and dozens of charities:
  • The "FAAPointsForChange" program in partnership with Canadian player Félix Auger-Aliassime was launched in 2020. For every point won on the ATP tour, Félix gives $5 and BNP Paribas adds $15. The money raised is used to finance scholarships for talented students from rural areas in Togo.
  • The 'Points for Change' program, launched on the occasion of the 50-year partnership with Roland-Garros in 2023, aims to transform the points scored by players on court into solidarity initiatives for the inclusion of young generations through sport. Each point scored on each single match of the professional tournaments partnered by BNP Paribas is valued and converted into funding. This mechanism helped to strengthen the following commitments:
    • The historic partnership since 2001 with Yannick Noah's "Fête le Mur" charity to promote access to tennis among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
    • "Girls On the Run Riverside chapter", a charity based in the Coachella valley. "Girls On The Run" promotes sports for youth by integrating exercise and a research program to improve girls' living conditions across the United States.
    • And many more around the world, in Poland, Italy, the UK, etc.

About BNP Paribas

Leader in banking and financial services in Europe, BNP Paribas operates in 64 countries and has nearly 178,000 employees, including more than 144,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking Services for the Group's commercial personal banking and several specialised 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 realise 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 commercial personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Türkiye, and Eastern Europe. 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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