The Rolex Paris Masters tournament is one of the most popular indoor professional tennis events held annually. Rolex has been the title sponsor of the event since 2017, 10 years after becoming a partner for the event. The event showcases the highest level of competition, being the final tournament for the regular season for men’s tennis. Here is where they can qualify for the ATP season finale: the Nitto ATP Finals.
The 2021 tournament was in the French capital of Paris at the Accor Arena, as with previous years. The event featured singles and doubles tournaments. While the event mainly focuses on tennis, Rolex made itself known as the title sponsor.
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What Is Rolex?
Rolex is considered one of the premier brands in luxury watches, and is arguably the most well-known of them all. The Swiss-originated company began in 1905 and quickly established itself as a quality craftsmen in the field. Rolex watches are often known for their intricacy and attention to detail. They spare no expense in terms of engineering and design for their creations.
These watches emit an air of style and luxury. Their designs can range from simple to athletic and even extravagant. Many of their designs stand the test of time, remaining relevant and reliable decades after manufacturing.
There are two types of people who seek after Rolex watches. The first are those who see them as a worthy investment, and luxury watch enthusiasts who appreciate the detail and craftsmanship that goes towards every model.
Indeed, Rolex is the pinnacle when it comes to product quality. The brand is also innovative, featuring some of the very firsts in the industry. They created the first water-resistant watch and the automatic winding system.
Another reason people want them is that Rolex watches retain their value over time. Some products are in-demand because of their limited manufacturing, increasing their price significantly.
Rolex History in Paris Masters
Rolex first became a partner of the prestigious indoor event in 2007, when they were named the Official Timekeeper. From there, they continued supporting the event, making their professionalism and quality known. It was not the first time Rolex had worked in professional tournaments. They have already had decades of experience working in the same capacity for Grand Slam tournaments.
Under Rolex, there have been many famous names that have won championships in the Paris Masters event. In 2008, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga brought pride to his home country, becoming the first Frenchman to win under Rolex. Other names that have won the event include Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Daniil Medvedev.
Points and Prize Distribution
At the Paris Masters, points are awarded to players who can reach the next qualifying round, increasing as they progress. The highest points awarded would be to the event winner at 1000 points, the same in both singles and doubles competitions. From there, the points go down to 600 for the finalist.
The prize money, on the other hand, is much higher for singles competitors. The singles winner of the event receives over €336,000, while the finalist gets €187,000. The winning team in the doubles event gets €70,000, while the finalist will get €50,000. Prize money for singles is distributed until the first qualifying round of participants. The doubles will only get cash prizes if they reach the round of 32.
Participants
The singles competition featured many big names, with seven out of the ATP ranked top 10 qualifying for the tournament. The biggest names among these were Novak Djokovic, ranked at the top with multiple Paris Masters tournament wins. Next to him was Daniil Medvedev, aiming to get another win under his belt following his 2020 run. Other names included in the event were:
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Alexander Zverev
- Andrey Rublev
- Casper Ruud
- Hubert Hurkacz
There were also many notable names who withdrew from the event because of injury or because they had already qualified for the ATP finals. After their withdrawal, the event sought out other participants. Some of the names that withdrew before the tournament include:
- Matteo Berrettini
- Roger Federer
- Rafael Nadal
- David Goffin
For the doubles event, two top 10 pairs participated. The Croatian duo of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic were the top seeds. Rank 7 US and Britain Duo Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury were also at the event. Other single competitors also entered the tournament with a partner as wildcards or intended to join the doubles event.
The Singles Event
The singles event drew the most attention because of its competitiveness as players fought to solidify their standings. As with any high-profile tournament, some upsets occurred.
One of them was Stefanos Tsitsipas, entering 3rd in the rankings but losing in the second round, a relative newcomer to the professional scene. Current ninth rank Jannik Sinner also lost in the second round to Carlos Alcaraz. However, it was a tough fight, with Alcaraz being a former number four ranked player with five singles titles under his name.
Many players in the tournament were not defending points because most of the previous year was non-mandatory. Only five of the seven top ten players made it to the playoffs. Among the mix were two top 60 players, James Duckworth and Hugo Gaston. Duckworth faced elimination against the seventh rank Hurkacz, while Gaston had a match against last year’s winner in Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev quickly made it to the finals after a dominant semi-final match against Alexander Zverev. On the other side of the bracket, Novak Djokovic rallied to a comeback against Hurkacz. The finals were as most predicted, with the number one and two ranked players fighting for the championship.
Daniil secured the first among three rounds, but Novak quickly dominated the final two to secure his win. To date, Djokovic has won at least 88 ATP singles titles, and it was no surprise as he is considered one of the best to play professional tennis.
The Doubles Event
The doubles event was more of a wildcard tournament, with only a few highly ranked teams in the competition. The winners from last year consisted of Hubert Hurkacz and Felix Auger-Aliassime, but they decided not to defend their titles. All received a bye into the second round, where the two top-ranked teams were eliminated.
Rank 11 team Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut would enter the finals after beating the 25th ranked team. On the other side of the bracket were two lower-ranked teams. The finals saw the two compete against German Tim Putz and Australian Michael Venus, who is known for reaching 7th in the doubles rankings. Putz and Venus stood the winner in the finals in a close match.
The 2022 Rolex Paris Masters
Rolex will continue to be the title sponsor of the Paris Masters event, with the 2022 edition returning to the Accor Arena. The tournament for the year will occur from 29th October to 6th November 2022. While there are no final details yet on the participants, the expectation is most top singles competitors will be there. This includes Djokovic, who is defending his title. Tickets are now on sale for day and night matches with multiple-day packages.
While you’ll see the Rolex logo during this event, the watch brand does not showcase too many of its prestigious products. It’s likely because the name speaks for itself, and they don’t have anything to prove.
One of the reasons why they’re involved in professional tennis is because it’s rooted in the history of Rolex. It’s often paired as a sport among the wealthier class. Many of the audience from these events are often people who’ll pay to own and display their Rolex collections.
What to Expect Moving Forward
Rolex will continue its ATP partnership for the foreseeable future. Seeing that they continue to be the Official timekeepers of the four major Grand Slam events, it’s hard to see them making any change. Event organizers also love working with them because of their work quality and reliability.
As with any Paris Masters event, these tend to be highly competitive, and we’ll likely see the same in 2022. Enthusiasts and collectors should also watch out for any new product announcements in the event, as it can be a way to publicize their projects.
