Tennis players have always had great style when it comes to watches. Whether it's Rafa Nadal on court with a super lightweight Richard Mille, Björn Borg wearing a stunning Cartier, or Roger Federer showing off his Rolex off the court. The players always wore their watches nicely.
Here are nine of the best.
Björn Borg with Rolex
Five-time Wimbledon winner Bjorn Borg, aka the «Iceman», could often be seen wearing a Rolex. Like below in this classic photo with his great tennis rival, John McEnroe. Where he can be seen wearing a Rolex Dadjust on a Jubilee bracelet.
Borg's relationship with Rolex goes way back. In the second photo here, you can see Borg in 1980 with Rolex CEO André Heiniger. On the eve of the men's final at Wimbledon, Borg once again faced McEnro.
Since then, Borg has become a certified Rolex holder, alongside his work as an ambassador for the sport. After retiring from professional tennis, Borg served as captain of the European team in the annual Laver Cup men's team competition. At the end of his tenure as such, Borg was awarded another Rolex alongside his old partner McEnroe. Who also retired at the same time as Borg. Borg received a Rolex GMT-Master II with a commemorative engraving on his casebac. To match the chief's jacket, he was given the GMT-Master II «batman» in an Oyster bracelet.
Speaking of being Rolex-certified, Borg has said in the past. “To see the Rolex crown when I go to these outstanding events makes me extremely proud. I feel very honoured and happy to be part of the Rolex family. I feel like I am still part of the tournaments because of this relationship.”.
Andy Murray with the Rado
The first Briton to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 was Andy Murray. A British hero who played with grit, determination and style. Winning Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, his watch sponsor, the pioneering Swiss brand Rado, was always by his side.
One of the best of these was the HyperChrome Automatic Chronograph. While there are several versions of this, Murray's was the classic plain black version. One of the classiest models he wore was the Rado Hypercrhrome XXL after winning Wimbledon in 2013.
Murray became a Rado global ambassador in 2012. Rado CEO Matthias Breschan commented at the time. “Since 2012, sports fans have taken Andy to their hearts as a new tennis hero. We are delighted that this cool Rado TV spot shows the fun side of Andy. As well as his dedication to his training. We're sure Andy's fans will love it. And we're confident that he will continue to make Rado synonymous with tennis.”.
Rado is known for using a range of innovative materials to create some of the world's most durable watches. Extremely lightweight, scratch-resistant and comfortable to wear - it's the perfect brand for any tennis champion.
Rafael Nadal with Richard Mille
Two-time Wimbledon winner Rafael Nadal has always looked stylish on court. And not just thanks to his love of Richard Mille watches. Accumulating 14 huge French Open victories at Roland Garros, Nadal often lifted the trophy wearing his favourite watch brand. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their partnership in 2020, Richard Mille has created the RM27-04 Tourbillion Rafael Nadal RM27-04.
The tonneau case of the watch is made of titanium with a black PVD coating, in keeping with Richard Mille's luxurious style. Weighing just 30 grams, the watch dial is unique. With the diameter and hands suspended on a grid of steel wires that mirror the strings of a tennis racket. The movement is visible on both sides of the watch thanks to some velvety sapphire crystals. The watch also set a new record, as it can withstand accelerations of over 12,000g. The watch itself was limited to just 50 pieces. The watch was worth a staggering one million pounds at launch - now, on the secondary market, it's worth twice that.
Roger Federer at the Rolex
Roger Federer is no stranger to Rolex. Earlier this year, he was spotted wearing one of Rolex's most secretive 2025 releases in March. Before his debut at Watches and Wonders in Geneva in April.
The spectacular tennis player and twenty-time Grand Slam winner has been turning heads this spring. After he was seen wearing the new unreleased Rolex Land-Dweller. Federer's new stainless steel Rolex Land-Dweller is inspired by the clean, elegant design of the vintage Oyster quartz. The watch features an elegant Jubilee flat bracelet and a refined silver dial. It features an open back case back, a unique option for Rolex, known for its traditional closed backs.
The watch has a slimmer, flatter case designed for an integrated bracelet. The bracelet itself combines elements of Rolex's famous Jubilee with the modern style of the iconic Royal Oak. It's worth noting that it also features a hidden crown clasp, previously only found on Rolex's famous presidential bracelets.
Serena Williams, Audemars Piguet
One of the most enviable watch collections among tennis athletes is that of Serena Williams. Especially her collection of Audemars Piguet watches.
The multi-talented player, who has won 23 Grand Slam titles during her professional career, made an impression at the May 2024 Met Gala wearing a unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The model Williams wore was a variation of the open model. It featured a flying tourbillon inside a skeletonized construction.
The watch was Sand Gold in colour. And its unique shades matched beautifully with Serena's stunning gold outfit on the night.
Gaël Monfils, Patek
Philippe The famous French player is an avid watch collector with, according to Mr Porter, 50 individual watches to his name - and is even a judge at Le Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie de Genève.
Mr. Porter notes that Monfils has worn some serious watches over the years. Including a Patek Philippe Flyback Chrono, a Voutilainen GMT-6, an F.P.Journe Chronomètre Bleu and a Greubel Forsey GMT Sport. One of the most plush of these is definitely the Patek Philippe Flyback Chrono. You can see one of the models here:
Carlos Alcaraz, Rolex
The tennis ace recently became the proud owner of a rare new Rolex. Alcaraz showed off the watch most recently at the Madrid premiere of a new Netflix documentary series about his life to date, titled Carlos Alcaraz: My Way. The watch in question was a Rolex Daytona 116576TBR. Made entirely of platinum with a diamond bezel and a cool, ice-blue dial.
This dial also has Arabic numerals. Rolex models with this feature are few and far between, making it an extremely sought-after item. Estimates predict that on the secondary market alone, the watches sell for over £200,000. The watch made its first appearance shortly before the premiere of its new range at the Laureus Sports Awards on 21 April, where it also made an appearance alongside famous tennis players Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Kelly Slater.
Alcaraz is no stranger to Rolex watches, having worn another super rare Rolex in last year's Wimbledon final. The year before, he wore another rare Daytona to receive the Wimbledon trophy.
Novak Djokovic, Audemars Piguet
The Serbian tennis star is a well-known watch enthusiast and also stands out for how he has worked with many watch brands over the years.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner was first an Audemars Piguet ambassador in 2011, before later moving to Seiko in 2014. He then went on to work with Hublot.
One of the most special watches of Djokovic's career was when he wore the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph «The Legacy» 26378IO. Limited to just 1,500 pieces, Djokovic was seen wearing the watch in 2015 when he won the tennis Masters title in Shanghai. When he was awarded the trophy, he was seen wearing the 48mm watch, which was made in collaboration with action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger after it was first unveiled in 2011.
John McEnroe, personalised Rolex
The American tennis legend was one of the most charismatic, passionate and fiery tennis players of all time - but he was cool when it came to his watch choices. So it wasn't unusual for him to wear a Rolex, one of the best came from his collaboration with Artisans de Genéve to create the «John McEnroe Lefty Project».
Known as a left-handed player, the three-time Wimbledon winner teamed up with the Swiss watchmaker to create a custom Rolex Submariner that would not hinder a left-handed professional player during a match.
Part of the watch's specifications included repositioning the crown to the left of the face to make it more manageable for a left-handed person, and a one-way steel bezel instead of the usual ceramic offering. The rotor of the watch had a special personalization touch - it was engraved with «John McEnroe».
Source: somethingaboutrocks.com
