Tennis and Watches: Who Wears Which Brand – from Boris Becker to Carlos Alcaraz

US Open 2008: Roger Federer defeats Andy Murray. On his wrist, a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116509 in white gold with a silver dial.

In 1985, Boris Becker served at Wimbledon with a watch on his wrist. Forty years later, hardly anyone does – and yet tennis has never mattered more to the watch industry. This article sorts out who wore which watch and when, separates documented appearances from ongoing partnerships and explains why some players now hold stakes in their brands.

In short: Rolex has been official timekeeper at Wimbledon since 1978, at the Australian Open since 2008, at the US Open since 2018 and at Roland Garros since 2019. Roger Federer has been seen with a Daytona and a Datejust when winning titles, Rafael Nadal has played with Richard Mille since 2010, and Novak Djokovic has been with Hublot since 2021. Serena Williams wore Audemars Piguet, Naomi Osaka stands for TAG Heuer, Stan Wawrinka for NORQAIN – where he is also a shareholder.

We have already described how Wimbledon and luxury watches share the same values in Luxury Watches and Tennis. This article is about the wrists themselves.

• 1978: The year Rolex became official timekeeper at Wimbledon

• 4 out of 4: Grand Slams are now with a single brand

• 30 g: The weight of the Richard Mille RM 27-04 including strap, according to the manufacturer

Contents

1. When the watch was still on court
2. Rolex: four Grand Slams, one brand
3. Federer: Daytona 2008, Datejust 2017
4. Longines, Steffi Graf and the years in Paris
5. Nadal and Richard Mille: the watch that plays along
6. Serena Williams and Audemars Piguet
7. Djokovic: from Seiko to Hublot
8. Mouratoglou, Zenith and the UTS
9. When players become shareholders
10. Rado and TAG Heuer: the breadth of the field
11. The reputational risk
12. Series model, special edition, unique piece
13. Player, brand, documented model
14. The models from this article
15. Frequently asked questions

When the watch was still on court

In the eighties, a watch on a professional's wrist was nothing unusual. Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg wore Ebel during matches – at the time, the brand from La Chaux-de-Fonds with its wave bracelet was one of the most visible names in sport. Andre Agassi was also with Ebel during this period, before later moving to Longines.

Then the sport changed. Every gram on the body was considered a disadvantage, every distraction a risk – the watch disappeared from the court and only returned two decades later.

Boris Becker at Wimbledon – next to him an Ebel from the same era. No specific reference can be identified from the photograph with certainty.

Rolex: four Grand Slams, one brand

In 1978, Rolex became official timekeeper at Wimbledon. The Australian Open followed in 2008, the US Open in 2018 and Roland Garros in 2019. This means timekeeping at all four Grand Slams lies with a single house – alongside commitments to the ATP and WTA as well as the Laver Cup, which Roger Federer launched together with Rolex in 2017.

The roster of ambassadors ranges from Björn Borg, John McEnroe and Rod Laver to Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff. Anyone watching a Grand Slam final today is usually watching two ambassadors of the same house.

Federer: Daytona 2008, Datejust 2017

Federer has been with Rolex since the 2000s. Sources vary between 2001 and 2006 as the starting year, which is why we do not commit to a single year here. He never wore a watch on court – his impact came at the trophy ceremony.

When he won the 2008 US Open against Andy Murray, he wore a Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116509 in white gold with a silver dial. When he won Wimbledon in 2017 against Marin Čilić, by contrast, it was an Oyster Perpetual Datejust in Oystersteel and yellow gold. Two separate appearances, two different watches – they should not be confused.

Incidentally, the nickname “Wimbledon” does not refer to Federer's watch, but to a dial variant with a slate-grey background and green Roman numerals. If you are looking for it, you will find it in the Datejust 41. Versions with a champagne or blue dial are stylistic alternatives, not the same variant. We also carry the Cosmograph Daytona – although the 2008 white gold reference is a different version from those available today.

The most effective watch advertising in tennis does not happen during the match, but at the trophy ceremony.

Longines, Steffi Graf and the years in Paris

From 2007 to 2018, Longines was official timekeeper of Roland Garros. The brand built its tennis commitment around two names: Andre Agassi has been Ambassador of Elegance since 2007, Steffi Graf since 2008. Both regularly appeared at brand events in Paris – for example at the Smash Corner, where visitors could measure the speed of their serve.

Steffi Graf at the Longines Smash Corner at Roland Garros. The watch she is wearing cannot be identified with certainty – we therefore do not state a reference.

In 2019, Rolex took over timekeeping in Paris. Longines remained involved in the sport through its ambassador programme.

Nadal and Richard Mille: the watch that plays along

The fact that players wear watches on court again today goes back to Rafael Nadal. In 2010 he first played with a Richard Mille – of all players, one with one of the hardest strokes on tour. The task was unusual: a tourbillon, a particularly delicate regulating mechanism, had to be built to withstand the acceleration of a forehand.

Nadal with the Wimbledon trophy and a black Richard Mille from the RM 27 family.

The models are clearly distinguishable:

• RM 027: The first joint model from 2010. Case and movement were consistently designed for lightness.

• RM 27-03: A later generation with a striking colour scheme, recognisable by its yellow and orange tones.

• RM 27-04: Case and movement echo the look of racket strings. Richard Mille states the weight including strap as 30 grams.

The RM 27-04 echoes the look of racket strings. There is no single weight figure for the entire RM 27 series – the values differ by generation.

Nadal after a US Open win with a yellow-orange Richard Mille.

Richard Mille is not part of the HORANDO range. Whether a specific reference can be sourced is something we check on request through our Concierge Service – we cannot guarantee availability.

Serena Williams and Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet took a different path from Richard Mille: less materials research, more attitude. Serena Williams also wore the manufacture's watches in competition. Among other things, a model from the Millenary family with manual winding, an oval case and a visible movement side is documented – in terms of design, it has nothing to do with the Royal Oak.

Serena Williams with the Australian Open trophy, on the left an Audemars Piguet Millenary with manual winding.

Two roles, two appearances. The gold watch in the portrait cannot be attributed to any reference with certainty.

Today, Aryna Sabalenka continues the connection between top-level tennis and Audemars Piguet, usually with models from the Royal Oak.

Djokovic: from Seiko to Hublot

Novak Djokovic worked with Seiko for several years and moved to Hublot in 2021.

Djokovic with a blue Big Bang. The exact reference cannot be reliably derived from the photograph, which is why we do not name it.

Two special models, on the other hand, are documented. The Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic from 2024 was made from melted-down HEAD rackets and worn Lacoste polo shirts from the 2023 season. In January 2026, the Big Bang Tourbillon Novak Djokovic GOAT Edition followed at LVMH Watch Week: a trilogy marking his 101st tournament win, with 72 pieces in blue for hard court, 21 in orange for clay and eight in green for grass. The case measures 44 millimetres and is made of the same composite; the watch is powered by the in-house tourbillon calibre MHUB6035, whose mainplate is structured like racket strings. List price according to Hublot: EUR 115,000.

As for the occasional claim that Djokovic was “the most expensive free agent on the market” between 2019 and 2021: we have no reliable evidence for this. What is certain is the move in 2021.

Mouratoglou, Zenith and the UTS

It is not only players who are under contract. Patrick Mouratoglou, long-time coach of Serena Williams and founder of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, is an ambassador for Zenith, which has been involved with the UTS since 2020. The collaboration produced a limited DEFY special edition.

Patrick Mouratoglou on court. We have not verified which watch he is wearing here.

The UTS deliberately breaks with convention: only one serve, play against the clock, music and a light show between points. For a brand that built one of the fastest series-production chronograph movements with the El Primero, it is a fitting environment.

When players become shareholders

The genuinely new part of the story is not sponsorship but ownership. Stan Wawrinka wears models from the NORQAIN Wild ONE during matches and holds a stake in the company. The Wild ONE is designed precisely for this: a case construction with a shock-absorbing element between two parts made of a lightweight carbon composite, which the brand calls NORTEQ.

Similar cases are Grigor Dimitrov, who moved from Rolex to Bianchet in 2023 and is also a shareholder there, and Casper Ruud, who has invested in the young brand Fleming. For small independent brands, this is often the only way to become visible alongside the budgets of the big players – the NORQAIN collection shows how far this brand has come in just a few years.

Rado and TAG Heuer: the breadth of the field

The least noticed long-term partnership in tennis belongs to Rado. The brand has supported tour events for decades and promotes young players. Andy Murray became an ambassador in 2012, Ash Barty in 2017, Cameron Norrie in 2021 – he mainly promotes the Captain Cook. The argument is about materials: high-tech ceramic is scratch-resistant and light.

At TAG Heuer, an era ended in 2016. Between 2004 and 2016, Maria Sharapova was the face of the brand in tennis. To mark the completion of her career Grand Slam, a Formula 1 was created bearing the names and years of her four major titles. Renewal talks were broken off after she was suspended for a doping violation. Today the brand relies on Naomi Osaka and Félix Auger-Aliassime – with the Aquaracer, the most accessible serious sports watch in the field.

The reputational risk

An ambassador contract is a bet on a person. TAG Heuer pulled the plug on Sharapova. Hublot stood by Djokovic when he was barred from competing at the 2022 Australian Open because of his stance on vaccination.

Two houses, two answers to the same question: at what point does attention become damage?

Series model, special edition, unique piece

A common simplification is that the professionals' watches are perfectly ordinary series models. That is only partly true – three categories need to be distinguished:

• Series models: Datejust, Daytona, Aquaracer or Captain Cook are regularly available. Anyone looking for an ambassador's watch will find it as a regular reference.

• Limited athlete editions: For example, the Hublot models for Djokovic or the Richard Mille editions for Nadal. Small production runs, often only through selected sales channels.

• Unique pieces: For example, the Formula 1 made for Sharapova with her four titles. These pieces are not for sale.

Player, brand, documented model

Documented appearances and ongoing partnerships, as of October 2026:

The models from this article

A small selection along the lines mentioned – starting points, not a complete list.

• Rolex Datejust: Federer's line, in numerous dial variants

• Rolex Cosmograph Daytona: Federer in 2008, today Alcaraz and Sinner

• TAG Heuer Aquaracer: Naomi Osaka's line

• NORQAIN Wild ONE: the model Stan Wawrinka plays with

• Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: Aryna Sabalenka's line

• Hublot: Djokovic's brand

• Longines: the brand of the Agassi and Graf years

• Rado Captain Cook: Cameron Norrie's model

• Ebel: the brand of the Becker years

• Zenith: partner of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown

Inspected pieces with a one-year warranty can be found under Certified Pre-Owned. If you are looking for a reference that is not listed, we will check sourcing options through our Concierge Service – we cannot guarantee availability.

Frequently asked questions

Which watch does Roger Federer wear?

Federer is a Rolex ambassador and has been seen with various models when winning titles: with a Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116509 in white gold at his 2008 US Open win, and with an Oyster Perpetual Datejust in Oystersteel and yellow gold at his 2017 Wimbledon win. He never wore a watch during play.

Which watch does Rafael Nadal wear?

Richard Mille models from the RM 27 family, starting in 2010 with the RM 027. Later models included the RM 27-03 and the RM 27-04, whose weight Richard Mille states as 30 grams including strap. Nadal wore the watches during matches.

Which watch does Novak Djokovic wear?

Hublot since 2021, Seiko before that. Two documented special models were created for him: in 2024 the Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic, made from melted-down rackets and shirts from the 2023 season, and in 2026 the Big Bang Tourbillon GOAT Edition in 101 pieces at a list price of EUR 115,000.

Which watches do tennis professionals wear?

Mostly Rolex – the brand has the largest roster of ambassadors and is timekeeper at all four Grand Slams. Besides that, Audemars Piguet, Hublot, TAG Heuer, Richard Mille, Rado, Bovet, NORQAIN and Zenith. Only a few professionals wear their watch during play; most only show it at the trophy ceremony.

Which watches do Serena Williams, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner wear?

Serena Williams wore Audemars Piguet; documented examples include a model from the Millenary family with manual winding. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are both Rolex ambassadors and are regularly seen with the Cosmograph Daytona.

Since when has Rolex been timekeeper of the Grand Slams?

Wimbledon since 1978, Australian Open since 2008, US Open since 2018, Roland Garros since 2019.

Who was timekeeper at Roland Garros before Rolex?

Longines, from 2007 to 2018. During this time, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf became brand ambassadors.

Which tennis players hold stakes in watch brands?

Stan Wawrinka at NORQAIN, Casper Ruud at Fleming and Grigor Dimitrov at Bianchet. In all three cases, these are independent brands that gain visibility through the partnership.

Which watch did Boris Becker wear?

In the 1980s, Becker wore Ebel, including during matches. No specific reference can be identified with certainty from the available photographs.

Are the tennis professionals' watches regular series models?

Not always. Datejust, Daytona, Aquaracer or Captain Cook are regularly available. In addition, there are limited athlete editions such as the Hublot models for Djokovic and genuine unique pieces such as the Formula 1 made for Maria Sharapova, which are not for sale.

Read more: Luxury Watches and Tennis · Old Money Watches · The Most Expensive Rolex of All Time

Sources: Hublot · Richard Mille · Longines · Rolex · Swisswatches Magazine · Uhrenkosmos · Chrono24 Magazine. As of: October 2026. Ambassador contracts change constantly.