Inside the Tennis Clash Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault 2026 Finals

Once again, I’ve had the pleasure of attending Roland-Garros eSeries, for the finals of Tennis Clash. And, once again, there were few surprises when it came to the final result. 

Sasmis (Samuel Sanin Ortiz) successfully defended his title, becoming Roland-Garros eSeries champion for the second year in a row. He faced AreidY in a highly anticipated rematch of last year's finals. However, there’s always more than meets the eye.

“The Bag o' Chips Technique”

Every champion has a secret. 

Actually, it wouldn’t be much of a secret if it was revealed on a livestream or in person, which is exactly what happened. If you were among those watching (or attending), you probably know exactly what I'm talking about.

Sasmis may not have any crazy pre-match routines to help him win that cup, but he discovered something even more effective that doesn’t rely on luck: a bag of chips.

Throughout the competition, he could often be seen reaching into a bag of chips between matches. The logic behind it is simple: those oily chips help his “grip”. When you’re playing such a fast-paced game, you know how important a split of a second is, and since the matches were played on mobile devices, having your fingers slide more easily on the screen could lead to much faster movements.

Could that be what helped him defend his title? One could only guess. 

What is certain, however, is that Tennis Clash continues to grow. This year's event attracted a larger audience than ever before, which is outstanding to see, especially for a relatively young esports scene.

Why Tennis Clash Feels Different

One of the highlights of this year's event was meeting Laure Vallée, who hosted the French broadcast throughout the Finals.

Having worked across some of the biggest esports events in the world, Laure offered an interesting perspective on what makes Tennis Clash stand out from more traditional esports titles.

According to her, one of the game's biggest strengths is how approachable it is. She even compared it to the LAN parties people would attend back in the day. While games such as League of Legends can sometimes create a perceived barrier between professional players, fans, and even media, Tennis Clash feels much more accessible to everyday players.

That was something I noticed throughout the event as well. Whether it was the players, creators, casters, or guests, everyone seemed genuinely connected to the community. There wasn't the same sense of separation that often exists in larger esports ecosystems.

Despite attracting such large numbers of players, Tennis Clash still manages to feel surprisingly personal. Fans can interact with players, and even have a casual conversation with them. That makes the everyday player or fan feel like they're part of the experience rather than a simple spectator.

As Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault continues to grow year after year, that sense of accessibility may be one of its greatest strengths. 

We’ve already seen a huge difference between 2025 and 2026. The competition is becoming bigger, but it hasn't lost the community spirit that helped build it in the first place. One could only think, just how far can this go? 

The Head of International Development for Roland-Garros at the FFT, Aymeric Labaste, also hinted that there are already big plans for next year's Finals. While he couldn't reveal much, he promised that the 2027 edition will bring some major surprises.

For now, we'll just have to wait and see.

Final thoughts

By the time Sasmis lifted the trophy for the second consecutive year, there was only one logical conclusion: perhaps we're all taking Tennis Clash too seriously. 

Maybe the secret is simply to stay calm, enjoy yourself, and play your game.

But just in case, I might bring a bag of chips to my next tournament.