Rolex first partnered with The Championships, Wimbledon, in 1978. The world’s oldest tennis tournament is the temple of lawn tennis and of the original game. It is also where athletes become legends.
Published on June 24, 2024
Rolex is the Official Timekeeper and one of the major partners of all the leading tournaments. The story began at The Championships, Wimbledon, in 1978 when the brand first became involved with a sport that was capturing the world’s attention like never before.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in south-west London has hosted The Championships since the inaugural edition in 1877. The world’s oldest tennis tournament, Wimbledon is the home of the sport and its grass court temple.
Above the players’ entrance to Centre Court, which seats 15,000 spectators, lines from the poem If by Rudyard Kipling read:
If you can meet with
Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two
impostors just the same
These verses encapsulate the event’s philosophy because, at Wimbledon, the greatness of the sport lies not in victory but in the humility and perseverance of the champions.
The intensity of Wimbledon finals on Centre Court means they live on in the memory as extraordinary moments of tennis history. Epic battles between the likes of Rod Laver and John Newcombe, Björn Borg and John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have been written into the legend of Wimbledon and world tennis.
This unprecedented level of sporting excellence strikes a chord with an ethos intrinsic to Rolex and a natural partnership has developed at all the major tennis events.
Rolex has enjoyed a special relationship with tennis that is deeply rooted in a common philosophy: the continuous pursuit of excellence, a desire for precision and innovation, the elegance of movement, unwavering effort, respect for tradition and a drive to always push beyond personal limits.
Over the years, Rolex has extended its involvement in the sport, becoming the Premium Partner of world tennis in both the men’s and women’s game.
The brand supports most of the major competitions, including all four Grand Slam® tournaments, the season-ending ATP and WTA Finals, the high-status ATP Masters and WTA 1000 tournaments, and the premier international team contests, the Davis Cup Finals and the Laver Cup.
Among its Testimonees, Rolex counts a host of Wimbledon champions, including tennis legends Björn Borg and Chris Evert, as well as Stefan Edberg, Garbiñe Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Roger Federer – who won the men’s singles crown a record eight times – and rising star Carlos Alcaraz.
Today’s leading lights, including Rolex family members Iga Świątek, Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff, are aiming to join these greats on the list of winners at this revered tournament.
For many decades, the brand has actively championed culture, architecture, exploration and conservation of the planet. And in the sporting world, it has built a diverse range of partnerships across tennis, golf, equestrianism, skiing, sailing and motor sport. Rolex partners governing bodies, competitions and athletes – from established champions to promising talents – in long-standing engagements that perpetuate the future of these disciplines and promote excellence.
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