Rolex & The Championships, Wimbledon
Rolex has been associated with Wimbledon since 1978. The oldest of the Grand Slam® tournaments is the temple of lawn tennis, the original game. It is also where athletes write their names in the legend of the sport.
Published on 06/24/2024
Rolex is the Official Watch and one of the essential partners of all the major events in world tennis. It was at Wimbledon in 1978 that everything began between the brand with the crown and this discipline, which was then experiencing an unprecedented global impact.
In southwest London, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club hosts The Championships. The oldest tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon has been the birthplace of the discipline and the temple of lawn tennis since its creation in 1877.
A temple of tennis tradition
On the pediment of the players' entrance to Centre Court - which can seat 15,000 spectators - are inscribed two lines from Rudyard Kipling's poem If:
If you can meet Triumph
after defeat
And receive these two liars
from the same front…
These verses sum up the philosophy of this tournament. Because, at Wimbledon, even more than victory, it is the humility and perseverance of the champions that make the greatness of the discipline.
The place of great duels
Indeed, on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, the finals are so intense that they remain in the memories as extraordinary moments in the history of tennis. So much so that the encounters between Rod Laver and John Newcombe, Björn Borg and John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Martina Navrátilová, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are all epic battles that have entered the legend of Wimbledon and world tennis.
This unprecedented level of sporting excellence resonates with the philosophy at the heart of Rolex. A partnership has thus naturally formed with all the major tennis tournaments.
Rolex and tennis: almost fifty years of partnership
Rolex maintains a special relationship with tennis based on a foundation of shared values: the constant quest for excellence, a taste for precision and innovation, elegance of movement, perseverance in effort, respect for tradition and surpassing oneself.
Over the decades, Rolex has increased its involvement in the world of tennis, becoming the Premium Partner of men's and women's tennis worldwide.
The brand supports most competitions: the four Grand Slam® tournaments, the ATP and WTA Finals that close the season, all the elite ATP Masters and WTA 1000 tournaments and the top international team competitions, the Davis Cup and Laver Cup finals.
Rolex and Wimbledon Testimonials
Rolex counts a host of Wimbledon winners among its Testimonials, including tennis legends Björn Borg and Chris Evert, as well as Stefan Edberg, Garbiñe Muguruza, Angelique Kerber, Roger Federer – who has won the men's singles trophy a record eight times – and rising star Carlos Alcaraz.
Today's great players, including Rolex Testimonees Iga Świątek, Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff, aspire to join the ranks of the legendary winners of this prestigious tournament.
Rolex and sport
For many decades, the brand has actively supported culture, architecture, exploration and the preservation of the planet. And in the world of sport, with tennis, golf, horse riding, skiing, sailing and motor racing, the range of disciplines is wide and the forms of partnerships very diverse. Whether they are established with governing bodies, competitions or athletes – established champions or promising talents – they must be understood as commitments on a long shared journey that aim to perpetuate the future of each discipline and promote excellence.
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