The racquet sports brand and renowned automaker join forces to create a unique racquet for padel players and sports car fans.When Babolat looks for a team-up, it doesn’t mess around. The brand likes to tap the expertise of other prominent companies in their respective fields to bring something innovative to their products. That’s why when they got into the tennis shoe space, they partnered with tire giant Michelin to create a rubber outsole that meets the demands of high performance.By 2024, the French company’s racquets had already been fixtures in padel—one of the fastest growing sports in the world—but it wanted to do something unique. So, it went to the headquarters of Automobili Lamborghini in Italy to take advantage of the legendary car company’s mastery in carbon fiber manufacturing. The result was the BL001 range, made by hand and inspired by a sports car’s chassis.The resounding praise and success of the line warranted a sequel.Now comes the next generation BL002. For this update, the Lamborghini engineers focused on the materials in the racquet. The companies convened at the Babolat Padel Studio near Barcelona, which was created to explore and test new methods and technologies for developing padel equipment. It can also produce small quantity, limited-editions such as the BL002—the first model entirely designed at the studio.In action, the BL002 is a comfortable and maneuverable racquet that should suit a wide array of playing levels.The racquet was unveiled to select media and retailers at the Ultra Padel Club in Miami on March 21. The launch coincided with the Premier Padel P1 tournament held at the Miami Convention Center, the first league event held in the United States. Attendees got to try out the racquet on the courts and take a Lamborghini Urus for a spin through the local Miami streets.In action, the BL002 is a comfortable and maneuverable racquet that should suit a wide array of playing levels. It features an extremely firm 3K carbon shell with a Koridion Power Core foam center for maximum stability and energy return. A TPU covering protects the carbon surface and sporty Lamborghini-inspired cosmetic.The BL002 is Babolat’s first racquet designed entirely at its Barcelona Padel Studio.The racquet retails for $600 and will be available on babolat.com and retailers worldwide beginning in April. It will be sold in two colors—green and black—in a limited 5,000-unit run.
