Chinese internet giant Tencent has secured a modern three-year rights deal with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) to broadcast the Roland-Garros French Grand Slam tennis tournament, beginning with the 2026 edition, the FFT announced Wednesday.
The agreement, covering the tournaments from 2026 through 2028, marks a return for Tencent, which previously aired the French Open from 2017 to 2022. Shinai Sports held exclusive rights for the 2023-2025 tournaments.
“Over the next three years, Tencent will fully leverage its core strengths in digital ecosystem, content production and user engagement to deliver a premium viewing experience, enabling Chinese tennis fans to appreciate the unique allure of clay court tennis and driving the popularity of tennis in China,” said Jeff Han, vice president of Tencent Online Video, in a statement released by the FFT.
The deal will provide Chinese audiences with access to all matches, with a significant portion available free-to-air, alongside Chinese-language commentary and dedicated editorial content. The move comes as tennis enjoys a surge in popularity within China, fueled by the success of its players on both the men’s ATP and women’s WTA tours.
Zheng Qinwen, currently ranked No. 25 in the world as of January 26, 2026, according to the WTA, is a leading figure in Chinese tennis, having reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 in June 2025. She won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was the 2023 WTA Most Improved Player of the Year. Zhang Zhizhen has also broken ground, becoming the first Chinese player to enter the top 100 in the ATP rankings.
Other notable Chinese players include ATP rising star Shang Juncheng and WTA players Wang Xinyu, Yuan Yue, and Wang Xiyu.
“This partnership will allow tennis fans in China to continue following the tournament through widely accessible digital platforms, in a market where interest in tennis continues to develop,” said Stéphane Morel, chief executive of the FFT.
With this agreement, Tencent now holds broadcasting rights in China for three of the four Grand Slam tournaments – Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, currently holds exclusive rights to the Australian Open, but that deal is set to expire after the 2026 tournament.
The French Open deal expands Tencent’s sports portfolio, which already includes the WTA Tour and Formula 1 racing through the 2027 season. The FFT has also recently secured broadcast partnerships elsewhere, including a deal with Sony Pictures Network in India for exclusive coverage through 2027, and a long-term agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery across Europe until at least 2030.
