A Labour of Love
For more than 40 years, Rolex has generously supported tennis, a sport of numerous parallels with fine watchmaking
For more than 40 years, Rolex has generously supported tennis, a sport of numerous parallels with fine watchmaking
In one of the most spectacular scenes you’ll ever witness from a grandstand, an expanse of blue sea and sky contrasts with the rich terracotta-red of the courts at the Monte-carlo Masters. This interplay is punctuated by generous splashes of green—due in part to the principality’s verdant landscape, but also thanks to the distinctive livery of Rolex, partner to the premier events in international tennis and patron of many of its leading practitioners.
Rolex’s collaboration with tennis recently entered its fifth decade. The top Swiss watchmaker first got involved with the game in 1978, when it became the Official Timekeeper of The Championships, Wimbledon. Two Wimbledon icons—who also happen to be Rolex ambassadors—serve (if you’ll kindly pardon the pun) as superb examples of the precision inherent to tennis and to fine watchmaking, a parallel that’s the wellspring of Rolex’s support for the sport.
After training tirelessly since early boyhood, Swedish teenage sensation Björn Borg first triumphed at Wimbledon in July 1976. He’d proceed to win the next four titles at the All England Club, along with six French Open victories, clinching a career total of 11 Grand Slam wins. “When I won Wimbledon for the first time, it was like a dream,” says Borg. “It was a reward after all those years and all the time and all the tears and all the pain I’d been putting down on the court to try to be a champion. And finally, you get the cup in your hands…”
Borg says of his status as a literal gamechanger, “I didn’t realise what was going to happen, that I would become a part of what started a new era in tennis. Before, it was more of a classic sport. I was kind of a rock star and something new came up in tennis that was positive for the sport in general. I’m very proud and happy being part of that era.” The hirsute Scandinavian, nicknamed ‘The Ice Man’ for his imperturbable sangfroid, retired in 1983 at a mere 26 years of age.
Fellow legend and proud Rolex testimonee Roger Federer has enjoyed a somewhat lengthier career. With 20 to his name, he’s the record-holder for most men’s Grand Slam singles titles and for most men’s singles titles at Wimbledon, with eight spanning 2003 to 2017. “Breaking records was never really important for me. My goals were very down to earth, very normal, hoping to be maybe a top 100 tennis player at some point, possibly top 10,” says Federer, who nevertheless once held the ATP world Number 1 spot for a record 237 weeks in a row, and was continuously ranked in the top 10 for an incredible 14 years, from 2002 to 2016.
Many consider him the greatest of all time, but Federer humbly says, “I just hope to leave a legacy behind. Not for me personally, but for the game. It’s about keeping traditions alive, the artistry, the beauty of the sport and inspiring the next generation. To keep moving tennis in the right direction. No matter how much success you have, it’s important to look to the future. I want to make this sport the best it can be.”
Committed to innovation and performance tempered by respect for heritage, Rolex shares similar aims. Since it allied with Wimbledon in 1978, the association between the
watchmaker and tennis has grown apace, with Rolex going on to forge alliances with the Australian Open, the US Open and, as of this year, the French Open, Roland-garros, where Rolex is now Premium Partner, Official Timekeeper and Official Watch.
Beyond its relationship with the four Grand Slam tournaments, Rolex also sponsors the Shanghai, Paris and Monte-carlo Masters, plus five other Masters 1000 competitions: the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Mutua Madrid Open, the Internazionali BNL d’italia in Rome and the Rogers Cup in Canada. It is Official Timekeeper of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour and its end of season championship tournament, the Nitto ATP Finals, and of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals.
In addition to Federer and Borg, the list of Rolex testimonees includes contemporary champions Jo-wilfried Tsonga, Caroline Wozniacki, Juan Martín del Potro, Grigor Dimitrov, Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza, Sloane Stephens, Stefanos Tsitsipas and current world fifth seed Dominic Thiem. Rolex’s roster of legends, meanwhile, features Chris Evert, Tim Henman, Stefan Edberg, Li Na, Justine Henin, Jim Courier and Ana Ivanovic.
The last of these says that for her, a Rolex watch will always be a potent symbol of perseverance rewarded. Inanovic recalls, “It was just before Roland-garros started that I got my Rolex Daytona. Winning the French Open in 2008 and becoming World No 1 the same week… was a very emotional moment for me. Holding the trophy and lifting it up as high as I could and seeing my new Rolex on my wrist reminded me of all the hard work and belief that I had. It all came together.”
“I just hope to leave a legacy behind. Not for me personally, but for the game”
—Roger Federer