Picture courtesy of Zimbio
This year marks the 50th year of the US Open and, in time with their celebration, they’ve welcomed a new sponsor: Rolex. This marks the end of the 25 year partnership between the US Open and their previous sponsor, the more affordable watch brand Citizen.
As a part of their new partnership with the US Tennis Association, Rolex will now be the new Official Timekeeper of the U.S. Open, as well as the Official Timepiece. Gordon Smith, the CEO and Executive Director of the USTA said about this new multi-year deal, “we are delighted to welcome this iconic, luxury brand as a partner and we are thankful for their support of the USTA’s mission to grow the game.”
Rolex is a perfect fit for this sponsorship, as the brand has long been a champion of tennis. Previously, they’ve been associated with The Championships, Wimbledon, and Grand Slam. They’ve also had a number of partnerships with famous tennis players, including tennis legends Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki.
With this partnership, Rolex has made a number of commitments to sponsor various USTA events. They’ll be sponsoring the U.S. Open, the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, and all nine events of the Master Series. In addition, they’ll be supporting the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida and sponsoring a number of the USTA Foundation’s charity events.
At many USTA events, we’ve previously seen the Citizen name across the tennis grounds. Now, however, Rolex will take this place. This includes the moniker on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium clock and those on the clocks on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The USTA and Rolex announced their new partnership in advance of the U.S. Open, which begins on August 27th and runs through September 9th. Stewart Wicht, the President and CEO of Rolex Watch USA said about the deal, “It was only natural that Rolex would seek to build on its Grand Slam heritage, in this case through an association with the USTA and its flagship tournament, the US Open. The partnership brings together two organizations who share a passion for quality, excellence, precision, and performance.”
Rolex has long been a supporter of many sports, including equestrianism, golf, motor sports, yachting, and, of course, tennis. Their new partnership with the USTA shows their commitment to continuing to support the sporting world and their desire to further cement their association with the most prestigious sport events.