All the Grand Slam tournaments have one thing in common: Rolex is the Official Timekeeper at Roland Garros, the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
If you regularly follow professional tennis, you have probably noticed a Rolex watch and stopwatch on the courts at major tournaments such as the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. The reason? Rolex is the official timekeeper of these tournaments.
Featuring Rolex’s signature fluted bezel design, the watch’s hands announce the local time, while the digital stopwatch on the side helps you keep track of the match.
From its beginnings, Rolex has always been associated with sporting activity. The name Rolex was registered in 1908, after Hans Wildorf had spent three years in London selling wristwatches made in Switzerland.
By 1910, Rolex watches had precision certificates. But the biggest challenge came in 1925, when Wildorf promised that his watches would be as watertight as an oyster (the Oyster model), impervious to water and dust.
This is where Rolex’s history with sport begins. In 1927, Wildorf sponsored Mercedes Gleitze to swim the English Channel. After 10 hours of swimming, her Rolex Oyster was still running – obviously the best advertising
Since then, Rolex has been associated with feats in motoring, aviation and expeditions such as those to Mount Everest. The Swiss brand even developed a model, the Submariner, launched in 1953, so waterproof that it could be submerged to 100 meters.
Years later, Rolex developed sponsorships for sailing, equestrian and golf.
But how did Rolex get involved in tennis?
Rolex has sponsored ATP and WTA tournaments for nearly 50 years , beginning in 1978 with its debut as Official Timekeeper at Wimbledon, the most famous, traditional and perhaps most important tournament in tennis.
But it was not only a presence on the courts, Rolex also began to appear on the wrists of important players like Roger Federer, legends like Chris Evert, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg.
Today, champions such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff wear Rolex watches.
Over the years, Rolex has taken on the role of Official Timekeeper of Roland Garros (since 2019), the US Open (since 2018) and the Australian Open (since 2008), which is currently being held at Melbourne Park until January 26.
Rolex is also on court at tournaments such as the Nitto Finals and WTA Finals, as well as the Laver Cup, Shanghai and Monte Carlo Masters 1000.
Rolex must record the duration of the tennis match, including sets, games, breaks between games, training sessions, interruptions, periods of medical attention, and even authorized suspensions of play.
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