Rolex & The Championships, Wimbledon
Rolex partnered with Wimbledon in 1978. The oldest of the Grand Slam® tournaments is the temple of lawn tennis, the original form of the game. It is also where athletes etch their names into sporting legend.
Rolex is the Official Timekeeper and one of the key partners of all major world tennis events. It was at Wimbledon in 1978 that everything began between the brand with the crown and this sport, which was then experiencing unprecedented global reach.
In southwest London, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club hosts The Championships. Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world, is the birthplace of the sport and the temple of grass-court tennis since its creation in 1877.
A temple of tennis tradition
Above the players' entrance to Centre Court – which can accommodate 15,000 spectators – are inscribed two lines from "If" Rudyard Kipling's
If you can meet with Triumph
and Disaster
And receive those two impostors
just the same…
These verses sum up the philosophy of this tournament. For at Wimbledon, even more than victory, it is the humility and perseverance of the champions that make the sport great.
The site of great duels
Indeed, on Centre Court , the finals are of such intensity that they remain etched in memory as extraordinary moments in tennis history. So much so that the matches between Rod Laver and John Newcombe, Björn Borg and John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are all epic battles that have become legendary at Wimbledon and in the world of tennis.
This unprecedented level of sporting excellence resonates with the core philosophy of Rolex. A partnership has thus naturally formed with all the major tennis tournaments.
Rolex and tennis: nearly fifty years of partnership
Rolex maintains a special relationship with tennis based on a foundation of shared values: the constant pursuit of excellence, a taste for precision and innovation, the elegance of the movement, perseverance in effort, respect for tradition and self-improvement.
Over the decades, Rolex has increased its involvement in the tennis world, becoming the Premium Partner of men's and women's world tennis.
The brand accompanies most competitions: the four Grand Slam® tournaments, the ATP and WTA Finals which close the season, all elite ATP Masters and WTA 1000 tournaments and top international team competitions, the Davis Cup and Laver Cup finals.
Rolex and Wimbledon Testimonials
Among its testimonials, Rolex counts a large number of Wimbledon winners, 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 eight times, a record – and rising star Carlos Alcaraz.
Today's great players, including Rolex Testimonials Iga Świątek, Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff, aspire to join the ranks of the mythical 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 sports, with tennis, golf, equestrian sports, skiing, sailing, and motor racing, the range of disciplines is vast and the forms of partnerships highly diverse. Whether forged with governing bodies, competitions, or athletes—established champions or promising talents—these partnerships should be understood as commitments to a long-term shared journey aimed at ensuring the future of each discipline and promoting excellence.
