Rolex has a strong connection with the tennis world, dating back to 1978 when the historic Swiss watch manufacturer became the official timekeeper of the Wimbledon Championships. Not only that, but Rolex has been active in the sport for most of the last half century, with the brand currently sponsoring all four Grand Slam tournaments, as well as some of the world’s top professional players. Rolex’s influence is so great that it is fair to say that the position it holds is an extraordinary one in the world.
First held in 1905 and nicknamed the “Happy Grand Slam” by tennis legend and Rolex brand ambassador Roger Federer, the Australian Open is the most attended Grand Slam event of the year, with over 812,000 participants in 2020. As the first Grand Slam event of the year, the Australian Open is not only one of the biggest events in tennis, but also one of the biggest sporting events in the entire southern hemisphere.
Held annually at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park, the Australian Open is a favourite tournament for many players as they rejuvenate after the break to compete for Grand Slam titles. Rolex is both a sponsor of this event and one of the many participants, and it is certain that there will be plenty of Rolex watches on show, but which models are worn by Rolex’s top tennis ambassadors? Let CChen watch take you through them below.
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Rolex Datejust – Roger Federer
Roger Federer is easily one of the greatest tennis players of all time, with 20 Grand Slam titles and the most Wimbledon Open victories on record. In total, Roger Federer spent 310 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings, including a record 237 consecutive weeks. With 103 singles titles in his career and a total of six wins at the Australian Open, Roger Federer is not only a tennis legend, but also a tennis player with a passion for Rolex watches.
As a Rolex ambassador and one of the world’s greatest tennis players, there is no doubt that the Swiss-born tennis star can buy almost any Rolex watch his heart desires. Roger Federer has been found wearing a variety of different models, from the stainless steel Daytona to the solid gold Sky-Dweller and Day-Date and GMT-Master II watches, and everything in between.
However, Roger Federer’s favourite Rolex watch and the one most associated with him is the 41mm Rolex Datejust II ref. 116334 with its distinctive rhodium-coloured dial featuring blue Arabic numerals. Although it was by no means his most expensive watch, it was the one he wore when he lifted the trophy after winning his eighth Wimbledon title, breaking Pete Sampras’ record and securing his place in history. Roger Federer’s Rolex Datejust II remains a fond memory of an important moment in his life, his historic achievement and all the hard work and dedication that went into making it happen.
Rolex Datejust – Garbiñe Muguruza
Garbiñe Muguruza is a tennis legend as one of Rolex’s most recognisable female brand ambassadors in the world of sport. The Spanish-Venezuelan professional tennis player first reached the professional level in 2012 and since then she has won a total of seven singles titles, including two Grand Slam titles at the 2016 French Open and the 2017 Wimbledon Championships. Shortly after winning these two Grand Slams, Garbiñe Muguruza achieved the highest world ranking of her career.
Garbiñe Muguruza was a fan of Rolex watches until she became a Rolex brand ambassador. Garbiñe Muguruza’s success began with a breakthrough performance in 2014, beating her childhood idol Williams for the first time after reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open and finishing in the top 20, she decided to buy herself a Rolex to mark the occasion and constantly remind herself that such sacrifices can be rewarded.
Garbiñe Muguruza’s favourite Rolex watch is the 36mm stainless steel and 18-carat white gold Datejust. Garbiñe Muguruza’s Rolex Datejust watch 36mm features a stunning diamond encrusted dial and the brand’s signature Jubilee bracelet, also engraved with her name and the year 2014, a constant reminder of the success that hard work can bring.
Rolex Daytona – Dominic Thiem
Austrian-born tennis pro Dominic Thiem is another Rolex ambassador with a Grand Slam title to his name. After finishing runner-up at the 2020 Australian Open, Thiem won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open later that year, making him the first male player born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam singles title and the first Austrian tennis player to win a singles title at the US Open.
As expected from a professional tennis champion and Rolex brand ambassador, Dominic Thiem was spotted wearing a number of different Rolex watches, including a stainless steel Datejust 41mm with a blue dial and an 18-carat white gold Yacht-Master 42mm with Oysterflex, the watch he wore when he lifted the trophy after winning his first Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open.
However, Dominic Thiem’s favourite Rolex watch, and the one that can be seen on his wrist in most of his off-court photos, is the stainless steel Rolex Daytona ref: 116500LN with its black dial and matching black Cerachrom bezel. First released in 2016, the Rolex Daytona 116500LN is easily one of the most sought-after watches in the world and since its initial release, the model has completely sold out at retailers around the world. Modern, powerful and inherently sporty, the stainless steel and ceramic Daytona is the perfect watch for Dominic Thieme – and he seems to think so!
Rolex Daytona – Stéfanos Tsitsipás
Born in 1998, Greek professional tennis player Stéfanos Tsitsipás is the youngest player to be ranked in the top 10 by the Association of Professional Tennis (ATP) and has a career high ranking of No. 5 in the world.Tsitsipas has won a total of five singles titles, including the 2019 ATP Finals, and his career high ranking of No. 5 is the highest in the sport’s entire history highest-ranked Greek player in the sport’s entire history.
Like other Rolex Ambassadors, Stéfanos Tsitsipás is highly likely to wear almost any Rolex watch he wants. With this in mind, his taste in watches seems to lean towards the various Rolex sports models and Stéfanos Tsitsipás can often be seen with a stainless steel Submariner or Daytona on his wrist when he is off the court.
However, Stéfanos Tsitsipás doesn’t seem to limit himself to the brand’s steel models, as he was photographed wearing an 18-carat white gold Rolex Daytona ref:116519LN with a black ceramic bezel and matching black Oysterflex strap. Both luxurious and sporty, the Daytona 116519LN is the perfect accompaniment to the steel sports watch that Sisyphus usually chooses to wear and which could be seen on his wrist at some of the post-match press conferences.
Rolex Datejust – Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber is a German professional tennis player and one of Rolex’s most famous female brand ambassadors. She first reached the professional level in 2003 and has won a total of 12 career singles titles. In addition to winning silver for Germany at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Angelique Kerber has won several Grand Slam titles, including the 2016 Australian Open, the 2016 US Open and the 2018 Wimbledon Championships.
Angelique Kerber reached the number one ranking after beating Serena Williams at the 2016 Australian Open. After rising from 91st in the US Open rankings to a surprising semi-final in 2011, Angelique Kerber bought her first Rolex watch in 2011, marking the breakthrough point in her career and the beginning of her success in the sport.Angelique Kerber recalls that it only took her about ten minutes in the Rolex boutique because she already knew exactly which model she wanted.
Like many other Rolex brand ambassadors for professional tennis, Angelique Kerber has been spotted wearing many different Rolex watches over the years, including several different Datejust models and a stainless steel Daytona with a white dial and ceramic bezel. The one she bought for herself in 2011 – a classic 36mm stainless steel and 18-carat white gold Datejust watch with a diamond-set mother-of-pearl dial and a 3-section Oyster bracelet. The watch has become a part of her over the years and she says she feels good every time she wears it.
Rolex GMT-Master II – Karen Khachanov
Karen Khachanov is another professional tennis player and Rolex brand ambassador. The Russian-born tennis star signed a sponsorship deal with Rolex in 2019 and has been wearing a Rolex watch on his wrist ever since.Karen Khachanov has won four ATP singles titles to date and achieved a career-high singles world ranking of No. 8 in July 2019 after reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open in the same year position.
In terms of Karen Khachanov’s favourite Rolex watch, the Russian tennis pro seems to prefer the Rolex GMT-Master II in stainless steel and eternal rose gold. 126711CHNR, with its distinctive two-tone Cerachrom bezel made of black and brown ceramic with rose gold numerals. Like other two-tone GMT-Masters with brown bezels, the number 126711CHNR is often jokingly referred to by collectors and enthusiasts as a “root beer”.
With its two-tone face in stainless steel and 18-carat eternal rose gold (Rolex’s proprietary rose gold alloy), the GMT-Master II 126711CHNR is a watch that can easily be worn anywhere, from the beach to a formal dinner party, whenever. Both elegant and inherently sporty, the Rolex GMT-Master II is capable of tracking multiple time zones simultaneously, making it the perfect timepiece for the professional athlete who is constantly on the move to the next international competition location.
Rolex Datejust – Juan Martín Del Potro
Juan Martín Del Potro is another professional tennis player who holds a Grand Slam title and is a Rolex brand ambassador. Nicknamed “Delpo” by friends and fans, Juan Martín Del Potro is a renowned tennis veteran who recently withdrew from the game to recover from a knee injury that occurred in 2019. Juan Martín Del Potro has had a career of his own – ranked third in the world, he beat Rolex ambassador in the 2009 US Open final Roger Federer to win a Grand Slam title.
In terms of Juan Martín Del Potro’s favourite Rolex watch, the Argentine tennis pro has been spotted wearing a number of different Rolex watches over the years, including the stainless steel Sky-Dweller and a variety of different logbook models. However, one watch that seems to be his favourite is the 41mm stainless steel and 18-carat gold Rolex Logbook with an Oyster strap and the brand’s iconic ‘Wimbledon’ dial.
Named after the famous tennis tournament that marked the beginning of Rolex’s relationship with the sport, the Wimbledon dial features a rhodium-coloured face with black Roman numerals outlined in green – a reference to the grass courts that defined this historic event. An exemplary Rolex tennis watch, the Wimbledon Dial Journal is the perfect timepiece for Juan Martín Del Potro, with countless photographs of tennis stars wearing the model in their matches and personal lives.
Rolex Milgauss – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Although he has yet to win a Grand Slam title, French tennis star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has reached the quarter-finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and has many other achievements to his name. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga finished second at the 2008 Australian Open (also as an unseeded player) and later that year Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s highest career ATP singles ranking is World No. 5, which he achieved in February 2012.
Like many other brand ambassadors in the Rolex tennis world, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has been spotted wearing various Rolex Datejust watches over the years, in addition to the very popular stainless steel and ceramic Daytona models. 116500LN. However, another Rolex watch seems to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s favourite. as he brought home the trophy after winning the Canadian Open (formerly known as the Rogers Cup). The watch he wore when he brought it home was the Milgauss ref: 116400GV, which he wore when he won the trophy.
Featuring a green sapphire crystal, the Rolex Milgauss 116400GV is the only watch in the brand’s history to have a coloured crystal adorning the dial. Originally designed for scientists and laboratory workers, the Rolex Milgauss 116400GV offers users superior resistance to magnetism and it features a bright orange lightning-like seconds hand. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has been spotted wearing the Milgauss in many different photographs and this unconventional Rolex model seems to be one of his favourites. One of his favourites.