With the arrival of Wimbledon, the inspiration for this article is not difficult to understand. Unfortunately, tennis, which has always been synonymous with class and elegance, is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports in the world.
As part of the various world competitions, which take place today, we find several Swiss Maisons that sponsor these events followed by millions of people.
Among all these watchmaking houses, the one that undoubtedly stands out for the purpose of the main competitions is the crowned house of Geneva: Rolex.
This maison has a longstanding relationship with the world of tennis and with the main athletes who take part in tennis competitions.
But when did the collaboration between the world’s most famous watch house and the sport of Tennis officially begin?
Let’s find out together.
Rolex and tennis: the history of the partnership
At the end of the 1970s, Rolex began supporting the most prestigious tennis tournaments along with the best players.
The relationship that binds Rolex to the world of Tennis dates back, more precisely, to 1978, the year in which the Maison was chosen as the official watch for the prestigious tournament that is played on grass in England every summer: Wimbledon.
In the same year we also place the first female tennis player to become a Testimonial of the Brand, it is Chris Evert.
Currently, we see Rolex starring in all four Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, Roland ‑ Garros, Wimbledon and US Open. In addition to these, Rolex also sponsors two major team tournaments: the Davis Cup and the Laver Cup.
Last, but not least, which bear the name of the prestigious Geneva brand are other important competitions including, to name a few: the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Nitto ATP Finals, Rolex Paris Masters etc …
As for the athletes, the names of the Testimonials are engraved on many coveted trophies of the various competitions listed above.
Among these names, we find those of the strongest and most famous tennis players in history, including the five-time winner of Wimbledon, Björn Borg; Rod Laver; and finally, the Swiss champion Roger Federer, the first player to have won 20 men’s singles titles in Grand Slam tournaments.
From the 1970s to today, Rolex has always distinguished itself in the world of this sport, contributing to its success and, finally, promoting its culture and respect for the noble values that have always characterized tennis.
Rolex and Australian Open: Oyster Perpetual 41 mm
The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. Here, the best players and emerging talents in the world, since 1905, gather in the Australian tennis capital, Melbourne, ready to give their all to start the new season in the best possible way.
The tournament takes place at the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park’s central court, named after the legendary Australian player who has won the national title three times.
One of the most successful players in this competition, boasting six titles in the men’s singles, is the most famous Rolex testimonial of all: Roger Federer.
For this competition, Rolex has decided to choose a Rolex Oyster perpetual 41 as its representative watch.
This steel model of the crowned house represents the quintessence of Rolex as it combines timeless aesthetics and precision.
Dynamic watch by nature, it perfectly represents the spirit of the Australian Open, which marks the beginning of a new tennis season.
Rolex and Roland-Garros: GMT Master II
It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world where the a crème de la crème of tennis has met in Paris since 1928. It is the only one of the four Grand Slam events to be played on clay, whose origins date back to 1891.
The collaboration between Rolex and this competition, as a Premium Partner and Official Watch, began quite recently, only in 2019.
Being a tournament played on clay, the slow surface forces the players to long and exciting exchanges and puts a strain on their physical and mental preparation, requiring great skill, patience and endurance.
As for the official competition watch, the Rolex GMT Master II was chosen.
This is the Oystersteel and Everose gold model with Oyster bracelet; the bidirectional bezel is instead made of two-tone brown and black ceramic.
This model, designed to indicate two time zones simultaneously, has exceptional performances that unite it with the high standards required by the clay courts of Roland-Garros.
Rolex and Wimbledon: Datejust “Wimbledon dial”
This is where the history between Rolex and tennis began, in 1978, the year in which the Maison became the Official Watch of the most coveted tennis tournament.
This collaboration marked the beginning of the brand’s partnership with the world of tennis and, since then, Rolex has been a regular presence at this famous event, witnessing memorable moments in the history of tennis between epic matches and legendary players.
One of the main athletes and Rolex testimonials to have a front row seat in this competition is, as always, the Swiss Roger Federer.
The athlete boasts 8 titles won in the men’s singles of this competition, a record figure in the history of the English tournament.
Another prominent player of this prestigious competition was the Swede Björn Borg, also testimonial of the crowned house.
The champion boasts 5 titles won on the grass field of Wimbledon, including the first, in 1976, where on an afternoon in July of the same year he dropped to his knees in the central field of Wimbledon, to celebrate his first victory. in this competition.
This represented the dream he had always had since he was a child; from then on he began his fantastic career in the world of tennis.
As for the watch of the tournament, Rolex chose the 41 mm Datejust model in Oystersteel and yellow gold.
The dial, the true symbol and emblem of this watch, is slate in color with a soleil finish capable of creating fantastic light reflections. The real gem are the green Roman numeral indices, just wanting to recall the grass of the Wimbledon fields.
Precisely for this reason, the dial has been nicknamed by collectors as the “Wimbledon Dial”; this demonstrates the link with the historic competition and, moreover, for the colors that the dial recalls, typical of the English tournament.
Rolex and US Open
It represents one of the oldest tournaments in the world of tennis with roots dating back to 1881.
The US Open is the fourth and final round of the Grand Slam; characterized by a unique atmosphere and energy, this competition takes place in one of the most beautiful cities in North America: New York.
The atmosphere that reigns in this tournament, made up of one of the warmest audiences, is undoubtedly one of the main characteristics that encourages the players during their tough matches.
The collaboration between Rolex and this event began in 2018 as an Official Watch, confirming its strong and constant support for tennis.
The emblem watch of this competition is the Rolex Datejust 36mm, in steel and yellow gold, with a Jubilee bracelet.
Timeless model of the Maison, innovative and elegant, this watch, like the champions of the US Open, has crossed the ages while maintaining the qualities that immediately made it one of the most recognizable watches in the world.
Rolex and his athletes
As mentioned above, Rolex has distinguished itself over the years not only for having supported the most prestigious tennis competitions but also among the strongest and most renowned athletes in this world.
Below I will mention some athletes supported by the Maison of Geneva in their career in the world of tennis.
Surely, the best known to all, whether you are a tennis fan or not, is the Swiss champion Roger Federer.
In the various shots that have been taken of the sample over the years, one can always notice the presence on his wrist of the most beautiful models of the Coronata house.
Another dominant figure in the world of women’s tennis recently is the athlete Belinda Bencic, who, at just 17 years old, in 2014, made it to the quarter-finals at the US Open, becoming the youngest player in over 15 years to qualify for this stage of the competition.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she became the first Swiss tennis player to win a gold medal in the women’s singles.
In honor of this great achievement, the Maison of Geneva presented her with a Rolex Datejust with a special dedication.
Another player of the Rolex world is the German athlete Alexander Zverev, who, with his 1.98 m height, stands out for his powerful serve and rebound shots.
Present in the world top 10 since July 2017, it has won a dozen titles, including the ATP Tour Finals at the end of 2018.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics he gave further proof of his talent by winning a gold medal in the men’s singles, a first in his country.
To mark this triumph of the German athlete, Rolex also gave him a personalized Daytona.
These are just some of the athletes who see Rolex support their career; for more detailed information and to discover all the athletes of the Maison in the world of tennis, I refer you to the official website of the crowned maison.
Final remarks
Rolex, which has always been synonymous with elegance and sportiness at the same time in its watches, could only be one of the most appropriate brands, in my opinion, to support the fantastic and elegant world of tennis.
Surely in the years to come we could see an increase in this great family of tennis players that is part of the Maison of Geneva.
Seeing this great combination of sport and watchmaking only increases people’s passion for the two worlds and, at times, brings a person who is passionate about sport closer to watchmaking or vice versa.
