Top Tennis Players And Their Watches

VIEW
SLIDESHOW

As the year’s last Grand Slam tournament opened its hard courts this weel, we’re all rooting for our favorite raquet maestros competing for the trophy. Will Rafael Nadal win this round of the 2015 US Open after missing last year because of his wrist injury? Maybe ATP’s no 1, Novak Djokovic recovered his fantastic shape as he struggled during the preparatory tournaments this year?

Will Roger Federer prove his legendary tennis art as he seems to be unstoppable on hard court lately? Or perhaps Andy Murray is going to win his second US Open trophy this year? Stanislas Wawrinka already has a Grand Slam win this year (Roland Garros, keeping Novak Djokovik yet again from adding La Coupe des Mousquetaires to his trophy wall) but he is a winner here at the US Open, why not a second win? Or perhaps Marin Cilic will defend his 2014 US Open title this year?

And that’s just to cover the ATP – don’t let me get started on the WTA as Serena Williams is aiming to complete yet another Serena Slam by winning this year’s last Grand Slam as well? Or maybe WTA no 2 Simona Halep is rooting to win her first Grand Slam title? Petra Kvitova, ATP no 4 is followed closely by Caroline Wozniacki who has had a rough year – maybe she will crown it with a win at the 2015 US Open?

See also: Chanel made tennis racquets & balls as well – would you play tennis with a Chanel-made racquet?

I could definitely go on and on with the tennis players (and don’t let me get into the doubles – I have a word or two to say about the teams and the favorites this year as well), however, I wanted this piece to be about the tennis players watches!
Straight into the topic:

Seiko

Novak Djokovic Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual Time: a classy watch for a versatile tennis player, currently ranked ATP No. 1. Both parties of this collaboration feels strongly about the good match they make together – Djokovic always referring to his sponsors as his family – whether his equipment supplier, Uniqlo, or his Seiko.

The watch we’ve seen Novak Djokovic wear for the latest tournaments is the Seiko Astron SSE022 with GPS adjusted time zone. There’s even Nole’s autograph on the back case of this limited edition watch – 2,500 pieces, each with its own serial number engraved on the back. A stainless steel case with rose-gold coating and black ceramic bezel, a sapphire crystal glass and a silicone black band with push-button release for an appx $2,000 watch worn by ATP’s No.1 ranked player.

Richard Mille

Rafael Nadal RM 27-02 Tourbillon ‘Rafael Nadal’ is quite the machinery for a tennis player. But then again, Rafa himself is quite the tennis machinery and this particular pairing has made quite the buzz in and out the courts. It is, by far, the most expensive wristwatch worn by anyone in the circuit ever: $800,000 for a 18 grams skeleton carbon watch made exclusively by Richard Mille for Rafael Nadal. The sweat bands he wears around his wrists weigh more than this watch!

It even features a custom clay-orange band for the “King of Clay” but that doesn’t stop Rafa from wearing it on the hard blue court of 2015 US Open’s Grand Slam! A smart move for Richard Mille as Rafa is playing tennis with his watch, every match, every time, he has his watch on.

It’s not the first watch Richard Mille has crafted for the 9-time Roland Garros winner – a challenge they pushed under Nadal’s nose who was very skeptical about wearing a watch during his matches or training. The condition was to craft a watch that would resist Nadal’s playing style and be ‘invisible’. A 3.83 grams movement timepiece sealed the deal in 2010 and since Rafa is a creature of habit, he’s not leaving his watch behind anymore.

Rolex

Roger Federer GMT-Master II and Sky Dweller – hard to tell which watch he’ll wear as Roger Federer is not only the most elegant tennis player (have you seen him work that raquet? He’s playing a symphony every time he’s hitting the tennis courts), but also the dandiest of them all! Very careful about his looks, Federer teamed up with Rolex early on and he’s still going strong in this collaboration.

Roger may not play his matches with his watch on, but he unmissably wears his timepiece when he’s picking up that cup at the end! Looking forward to his US Open time on court this year as in the past couple of months, his game just skyrocketed – at 34, Federer not only he’s not retiring, but he is playing the best tennis in his life. In anyone’s life, actually! It only makes sense that he was recently designated world’s most marketable sports star! With such ambassador, Rolex is only thriving as one of the biggest names in the business.

Rolex is collaborating with more tennis players than any other watch brand: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov and the girls: Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic, Belinda Bencic are all wearing Rolex watches – maybe not during play, but once the raquet goes down, the watch goes up the wrist!

Audemars Piguet

Serena Williams Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore stainless steel watch with diamond set bezel and the new Millenary in rose gold, two of Serena’s favorite timepieces. Looking forward to yet another Grand Slam win this year, after completing her legendary Serena Slam by winning all others, she’d be crowned next to Steffi Graff who won all Grand Slam’s tournaments in a single year in 1988.

See also: Serena’s Wimbledon nails!

We’ll see what New York’s Flushing Meadow hard courts will hold for WTA’s No 1 Serena Williams: she loves her precise schedule as she revealed in an interview:

‘Exactly 30 minutes before my match, I like to talk to my coach. Exactly 15 minutes before the match – on the dot – I like to warm up. Then I like to be 2 minutes later after a warm-up so I can take that time for myself. I have exact times for practice and I eat lunch at exactly the same time. […] You don’t get sick of it but, like anything, it is very repetitive and it is tiring. But that’s our sport and the minute I step on the court, it encompasses me and I’m up for any challenge.’

Indeed she’s up to any challenge as Serena is flying on the court, marking point after point in her race to win this year’s 2015 US Open trophy. Yesterday she was on a winning streak with her Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Milenary with white strap: a glorious watch with 18-carat pink gold case and 40 brilliant-cut diamonds bezel worth a whopping 5-figure price.

Stanislas Wawrinka Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watch will accompany the Swiss player into the next round at the 2015 US Open as he defended yet another adversary in the 3rd round of the season’s last Grand Slam. A black ceramic case with anti-glare sapphire crystal covering an anthracite dial and a black rubber strap closed with a titanium pin buckle at this year’s Roland Garros winner’s wrist on court, for every match.

The Swiss top tennis player won last year’s Australian Open wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver black ceramic case with black dial and black rubber band.

Rado

Andy Murray HyperChrome Automatic Chronograph Match Point has been a no-show over the last couple of tournaments in the 2015 season (Rogers Cup at Montreal and even US Open). However, that’s not unusual for the Scottish player whose watch antics are legendary on the court. Murray either doesn’t find his watch or finally locates it and displays a 5-hour difference from the actual real time: he did so when he won the Wimbledon in 2013 which prompted an expert explanation regarding the timepiece in question that would never stop unless not worn for several days in a row.

Since Murray doesn’t seem to care much about putting his watch on when finishing a game, it’s safe to assume that Rado’s heavy contract (which translated in $1,5 million/year) was honorably ended. There’s also no mention about Andy Murray on Rado’s official website where all the luxury brand’s ambassadors are quoted… Andy Murray can be like that – buying a Ferrari and then selling it because it didn’t feel like him and driving around in his first car, a Volkswagen Polo even though he also owns an Aston Martin and a BMW i8…

At least this time around we won’t get to witness any of Andy’s Rado antics since he just left the 2015 US Open tennis just before the quarterfinals, losing to Kevin Anderson. Or perhaps it’s just his bad Rado karma – not winning the trophy so he won’t pose with the watch? Quite the rebel, Andy, huh?

However, the last Rado Watch seen at Andy Murray’s wrist, the Rado Hyperchrome Chronograph Match Point limited edition (only 999 pieces were made) is an impressive fine piece of machinery with plasma high-tech ceramic, transparent back case with a plasma high tech ceramic bracelet and grey dial. Not to mention about the wonderful collection Rado has designed especially for the tennis court:

Hyperchrome Automatic Court Collection with different dial colors for each type of court – green for the grass courts, blue for hard courts, orange for clay courts.

Agnieszka Radwanska Rado Hyperchrome Automatic White was at Aga’s wrist when she won the Rogers Cup Throphy in 2014 as she’s one of the luxury Swiss Watches company ambassadors. She always wears the brand’s Rado Esenza Touch Jubile in white, a touch controlled watch in full ceramic with four diamonds embedded white dial.

Julia Goerges Rado Hyperchrome Automatic White and Rado Hyperchrome S Quartz Jubile are two of the German Tennis Player’s watches. She even keeps them on during play, which is something rather rare on the tennis court! However, since the Hyperchrome Automatic White is specifically scratch-resistant and very comfortable, it seems a perfect choice for Julia who favors the clay and hard courts during the tennis season.

The Hyperchrome Diamonds, a small and elegant watch with 72 diamonds on the bezel, is definitely a girl’s best friend, even on the tennis court! Well done for Julia Goerges and Rado, partnering up for a successful play!

Rado is known to support many tennis tournaments around the world and on all surfaces(Miami Open Tennis, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, Istambul Open, Aegon Classic in Birmingham UK, Rakuten Japan Open etc) and also to support young tennis players (Karen Khachanov 19 yrs currently ATP 187, 21 year-old Saisai Zheng WTA 66, 18 year-old Jared Donaldson ATP 166, 19year-old Hyeon Chung ATP 89).

Capri Watch

Marin Cilic Chrono Maxi First Capri Watch is the mysterious timepiece worn by ATP no. 3 Croatian player while reaching the finals of the 2018 Australian Open. With a face inspired by the clock tower of Capri, this blue stainless steel watch has a matching blue rubber belt and a Miyota Citizen movement inside. Unlike Marin Cilic’s extremely powerful tennis style, this watch is approachable and wearable, affordable and it will only set you back $260.

Capri Watch proudly stands besides two of the most known Italian tennis players: Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli. Their collaboration goes back a couple of years and so does the Capri Watch Tennis Cup collection. Available in 3 basic colors (green, red and blue) but also in a more bedazzled version, with tiny colorful stones inside the dial.

(this article is a work in progress – each time a new watch pops up at a tennis player’s wrist, I’ll add as many details as possible about it)