Rolex has strong ties to the world of tennis, and popular Rolex watch models are a constant presence at virtually every professional tennis tournament around the world. Rolex’s relationship with tennis dates all the way back to 1978 when it became the Official Timekeeper at The Championships, Wimbledon. Over the years, Rolex’s involvement in the sport has grown, and the iconic Swiss watch manufacturer now sponsors all four Grand Slam tournaments, along with a number of the world’s top professional players.
Over the years, Rolex’s brand-ambassador tennis players have worn a wide variety of different models, and it is safe to assume that the sport’s biggest names (such as Roger Federer) have access to pretty much any Rolex watch that they want. Federer has been spotted wearing everything from a stainless steel “Batman” GMT-Master II to a solid-platinm Day-Date President but historically, it has been the various models from the Classic side of Rolex’s catalog that have been most associated with the world of tennis. In fact, there is even a particular style of Datejust dial nicknamed the “Wimbledon” that features green-outlined Roman numeral hour markers. However, as we look at some of the most famous Rolex ambassadors competing at the U.S. Open this year in New York, there is one model in particular that seems to be a favorite among the brand’s top tennis players: the Rolex Daytona.
Tennis, The Rolex Daytona, and The U.S. Open
Rolex Daytona Key Facts and Features:
– First introduced in 1963.
– Originally designed for the world of automobile racing.
– Features a mechanical 12-hour chronograph.
– External bezel with tachymeter scale.
– Characterized by a pair of pushers on either side of the winding crown and a trio of registers on the dial.
– The “Daytona” name comes from the Daytona International Speedway race track in Daytona Beach, Florida.
– A vintage Rolex Daytona holds the record of being the most expensive Rolex watch ever sold ($17.8 million)
– Rolex’s most diverse collection of sports watches.
– A top favorite among celebrities and professional athletes all around the world.
Click here for our Ultimate Buying Guide on the Rolex Daytona.
Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev’s Rolex Daytona ref. 116519LN
– Reference Number: 116519LN
– Case Size: 40mm
– Materials: 18k White Gold
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds; 12-Hour Chronograph
– Dial: Steel and Black w/ Luminous Hour Markers
– Bezel: Fixed. Black Cerachrom w/ Tachymeter Scale
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat)
– Water Resistance: 100 Meters / 330 Feet
– Strap/Bracelet: Oysterflex Bracelet
– Approx. Price: $29,700 (New); $39,500 – $45,500 (Pre-Owned)
Alexander “Sascha” Zverev is one of the most promising young players on Rolex’s impressive roster of tennis ambassadors, and he has been a permanent fixture in the world’s top 10 since 2017, winning more than a dozen titles, including the end-of-year ATP Tour Finals and five ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. Most recently, Zverev took home the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to become the first Olympic Games men’s singles champion from his home country of Germany.
When it comes to his favorite Rolex watches, Alexander Zverev has been spotted wearing a number of ultra-desirable models, including the new stainless steel Sky-Dweller ref. 326934 on a Jubilee bracelet (fitted with a blue dial). However, the watch that he seems to be wearing the most frequently these days is the 18k white gold Rolex Daytona ref. 116519 with a black Cerachrom bezel and Oysterflex bracelet (his particular one is the version fitted with the ‘Steel and Black’ dial that features a dark silver surface with black contrasting registers. Zverev’s Daytona was a gift to him from Rolex to celebrate his win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and includes an inscription on the caseback that reads, “Congratulations Sascha from the Rolex Family.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas’s Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN
– Reference Number: 116500LN
– Case Size: 40mm
– Materials: Oystersteel (904L Stainless Steel)
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds; 12-Hour Chronograph
– Dial: White w/ Luminous Markers
– Bezel: Fixed. Black Cerachrom w/ Tachymeter Scale
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat)
– Water Resistance: 100 Meters / 330 Feet
– Strap/Bracelet: Oyster Bracelet
– Approx. Price: $13,150 (New); $37,500 – $42,500 (Pre-Owned)
Stefanos Tsitsipas is another young and promising professional tennis player that is also a Rolex Testimonee. He won the championship at the 2019 ATP Finals (the youngest player to win the year-end championships in eighteen years) and he has won seven ATP singles titles so far in his career. Tsitsipas is the second youngest player to be ranked in the top 10 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and he currently has a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world, which makes him the highest-ranked Greek tennis player in history.
In terms of his favorite Rolex watches, Stefanos Tsitsipas has been spotted wearing a number of different models including a two-tone Submariner ref. 16613LN and the same 18k white gold Daytona that fellow tennis pro and Rolex ambassador Alexander Zverev was given recently by the brand. However, the model that Tsitsipas has been spotted wearing the most these days is the stainless steel Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN that is fitted with a black Cerachrom bezel (he owns the version with the white “Panda” dial), and it has virtually become a permanent fixture on his wrist during post-match press conferences and awards ceremonies.
Belinda Bencic
Celinda Bencic’s Rolex Daytona ref. 116503
– Reference Number: 116503
– Case Size: 40mm
– Materials: 904L Stainless Steel & 18k Yellow Gold
– Functions: Time w/ Running Seconds; 12-Hour Chronograph
– Dial: Black w/ Luminous Hour Markers
– Bezel: Fixed, 18k Yellow Gold w/ Tachymeter Scale
– Crystal: Sapphire (Flat)
– Water Resistance: 100 Meters / 330 Feet
– Strap/Bracelet: Oyster Bracelet
– Approx. Price: $17,400 (New); $23,500 – $32,500 (Pre-Owned)
Belinda Bencic is one of the top women’s tennis players and also a Rolex ambassador. In 2014, at just the age of 17, the Swiss tennis pro reached the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open, making her the youngest player in more than fifteen years to make it to that stage of the competition. With a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Bencic has won five singles titles and most recently, took home a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, making Bencic the first women’s singles champion from her (and Rolex’s) home country of Switzerland.
When it comes to her favorite Rolex watches, Belinda Bencic typically tends to favor models from the Datejust collection, and Rolex recently presented her with a solid 18k yellow gold Lady-Datejust with a diamond-set dial and President bracelet to celebrate her win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The timepiece has a caseback inscription that reads, “Congratulations Belinda from the Rolex Family” and Bencic has stated that it’s “an honor and this watch will forever be in my memory.” However, it seems that Belinda Bencic is also a Cosmograph Daytona fan, and she can frequently be spotted wearing the two-tone steel and gold Rolex Daytona ref. 116503 (hers is the version fitted with a black dial).
