Lululemon partners with BNP Paribas as the official outfitter

Lululemon’s latest move to establish a presence in the tennis world may be its most monumental yet. The brand has partnered with the BNP Paribas Open, the largest tennis tournament in the world outside the four majors, as the tournament’s new official apparel and footwear supplier.

Come March in the California desert, expect an abundance of Lululemon with fresh outfits for the approximately 2,000 tournament volunteers, ball kids and officials, a sturdy home in the main event merchandise tent, an experience-oriented Lululemon tent in the heart of the grounds and a Lululemon Day at the tournament in the middle of the busy mid-weekend.

“Oh, we’re so excited,” said Celeste Burgoyne, Lululemon president of the Americas and Global Guest Innovation. “[The tournament] is just such a cool environment. It has a very authentic atmosphere and the players bring out their full personalities early in the tour. It’s an incredible event from a player and fan perspective.”

As someone who personally loves tennis and has been attending the Indian Wells event for years, Burgoyne says the Canada-based brand remains focused on the sport and partners with a tournament that welcomes more than 500,000 fans annually – and is routinely hosted voted best tournament by players – Lululemon provides a key moment to deliver products and give guests access to the brand.

Lululemon looks strategically at five core businesses, focusing on yoga, running and training as the three core businesses that helped launch the brand. However, tennis and golf are quickly moving up the priority list and she says the focus now allows the brand to “really 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 come along sponsorship of Canadian Laylah Fernandez and the American Ethan Quinn. The brand also took over a retail location on the grounds of the US Open for the first time.

Burgoyne says fans will see a lot of Lululemon tennis products at Indian Wells. “We are very proud of the tennis equipment we make for our guests today,” she says. “This provides the opportunity to bring the collection to life with the most passionate fans around. You’ll see incredible tennis collections and then pieces that come on top of that. Fans will see tons of our items that week that they can take home.”

Philippe Dore, Chief Marketing Officer of BNP Paribas Open, tells me that signing with Lululemon fits with the tournament’s goal of being unique, pushing the boundaries and having fun. “It’s a nice collaboration,” he says. “It’s different. It’s what we do and it fits naturally.”

By having products ready for the volunteers and ball kids, a co-branded product with the tournament, and then having both tennis and lifestyle gear available throughout the site, Burgoyne says there are plenty of opportunities to embrace fans. Opening the US Open store 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 will bring to Indian Wells.

In-store experiences and interactive opportunities within the New York space proved important. “You’ll see more of that,” Burgoyne said of Indian Wells. In New York, Lululemon also did some fun fan interaction with their players serving as undercover workers in the store, so Burgoyne hopes to get the players involved in Indian Wells in some way. “We will definitely engage our athletes, ambassadors and teachers in really fun and cool ways,” she says.

But don’t forget the product. “The great thing about tennis tournaments is that they start early and go all night,” says Burgoyne. “People need layers. They want a memento of the event and sometimes they just forget the perfect sweatshirt. We know we can meet all those needs.”

Dore says the combination of casual fans and hardcore tennis players in the relaxed tournament atmosphere is a good fit for Lululemon, with its mix of lifestyle and performance products. “It’s exciting that these brands are reaching out to us,” says Dore, adding that it allows for a fresh new look. “The event is growing and brands like this are taking notice.”

He is especially enthusiastic about the official tournament equipment, both for the volunteers and ball children, but also for the fans. “It’s quality material,” he says, “and very subtle. It fits really well with our brand. We’re excited about the co-branding and the products our fans will buy locally.”

The Lululemon Day of the tournament takes place on the middle Sunday, one of the busiest of the event. While Burgoyne says they haven’t finalized the details yet, “it’s certainly a day we won’t take lightly.”

The announcement really cements Lululemon’s seriousness in the sport. “I think this is a really incredible moment for Lululemon right now, in a place that is pushing us even more in tennis and how we show up,” Burgoyne said. “There’s a lot of intent to the experience and I’m hoping for some surprises. This has been a great partnership so far and we’re excited to bring it fully to life. Both parties are excited and Lululemon is ready to appear on one of the world’s best tennis stages.”

MORE: Lululemon’s Growth in Tennis: A Collaboration with Leylah Fernandez