It's official, the Roland-Garros eSeries is back and better than ever! This year's edition introduces French automobile giant Renault as the new presenting partner, with Mastercard also sponsoring the event.
The 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault will be played in the incredibly popular mobile game Tennis Clash, which was developed by Wildlife Studio and has more than 150 million downloads.
This tournament also solidifies Roland-Garros's and the French Tennis Federation's intentions to continue to invest in the esports industry and create a strong and long-lasting eTennis scene.
So let's find out everything about this event.
2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault
The Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault will take place on 25 May, where eight players will battle for the title and a prize pool of €5000, which is divided between the winner and the runner-up.
Four of the eight players will qualify through one of the four open qualifiers. These qualifiers take place on the following dates:
- Open Qualifier 1 - 7 to 12 March
- Open Qualifier 2 - 21 to 26 March
- Open Qualifier 3 - 11 to 16 April
William “Fozzy” Foster will be back to defend his championship and looking to three-peat.
There will be two Wildcard players, Tennis superstar Gilles Simon, and one player from Handigamers, an association that helps disabled people to keep playing video games.
The best female Tennis Clash player of the first open qualifier will also qualify for the tournament, which will take place on 25 May at Roland-Garros.
Furthermore, every qualified player will have the chance to be supported by esports team Gameward, which will provide "one of the best performance ecosystems in France."
Tournament format
The 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault will be played in a round-robin format, with a total of 28 matches, all of them being best-of-one. The semifinals will be best-of-three, while the Grand Final will be played in a best-of-five format.
As mentioned above, the €5000 prize pool will be divided between the winner and the runner-up. Exclusive Roland-Garros outfits were also created for this edition, which will make the event feel more immersive.
How important is the 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault
It's always great to see historic brands and institutions partnering up to support the development of the esports scene, and the 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault does exactly that.
Aymeric Labaste, Head of Roland-Garros International Development, explained just how important this tournament is.
"Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault is a major project in our international strategy as tennis fans & gamers all over the world can experience Roland-Garros. For this 7th edition, our ambition keeps on growing with the aim of positionning our competition as a true reference in esport."
The tournament is also very important and special for Tennis superstar Gilles Simon, who worked as an analyst in last year's edition and this year is battling for the title.
When asked about what this tournament means to him, Gilles Simon had the following to say:
"I discovered Tennis Clash last year during the 2023 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault, and I immediately embraced the game. It inspired me to participate in the competition and bridge the gap between tennis and video games, my two great passions! I will do my utmost, just as I did on the court throughout my entire career. Starting in the top 8 alongside the world's best players is a real challenge for me and I do intend to take it up!"
The 2024 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault will certainly be a very exciting tournament.