It takes more than just talent to shine at the hallowed arena of the Flushing Meadows. It's the culmination of years of toil in silence, the indomitable spirit to walk through the topsy-turvy terrains of elite tennis, and of course the ultimate precision in everything you do on the court. The scoreline never reflects the true picture; for the margin between the best and the rest is often in inches, and the champions understand this better than anybody. Maybe that's why they prefer Rolex, the omnipresent timekeeper of the tournament that has seen centuries of summers of excellence. Although the ongoing US Open threw up quite a few surprises, the final in both men's and women's categories will be played by some of the rising stars of the game who have been showing unreal consistency across formats.
From defending champions to emerging players, many of them swore by Rolex. Jannik Sinner, the current world number 1 tennis player, has been sprinkling moments of brilliance in New York, with an iconic Rolex Submarine Date. Sinner will be taking on Taylor Fritz in the final. Sinner's rise to stardom came at a time when the sport faced an existential crisis of sorts, in the wake of the post-Federer era.
For two decades, the towering figure of Roger Federer, also a Rolex Testimonee, ruled the game. For the Swiss maestro, winning the US Open was the pinnacle of his career. The US Open was a dream tournament for him, and the Italian Sinner is living this dream right now. Federer says, "The US Open is different because New Yorkers come to the event, they sit down and they expect a great performance. It creates immense pressure in the biggest stadium in tennis, especially under the lights, which is when you usually play your biggest matches. The US Open was always a dream tournament for me – to stay in the city, go out to Flushing Meadows and play tennis."
Federer won the championships a record five times between 2004 and 2008, and Rolex, who became the official timekeeper of the US Open in 2018, had witnessed his excellence very closely. For a brand that prides itself in recognising greatness well before it unfolds to the world, its commitment to nurturing and blossoming talent remains unparalleled. Currently in their roster includes the likes of Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, and Coco Gauff among others.
Although Gauff failed to defend her title in New York, her greatness remains indisputable. On her association with Rolex, Gauff says, “I always look forward to playing at the US Open and I think the experience of playing on Arthur Ashe helped me win last year. I’m used to all the sounds, and the crowd’s energy is definitely important for me – it pushes me through some of the toughest matches. I’ve been with Rolex since I was 15 and for them to have believed in me from such a young age is incredible."
