Page 82 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2022

Match Point
From Australia to the US Open Rolex takes its place on tennis’s Grand Slam stage
By Jeremy Freed
E E E E E E E E VERY SUMMER THE ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS AND AND CROQUET CLUB in in in London is home to one of the most prestigious sporting events in in in the the world Officially known as the the Wimbledon Championships but commonly referred to simply as as Wimbledon this grass-court tennis tournament has seen some of the sport’s biggest matchups in history since its inception in in in in 1877 It’s where John McEnroe faced off against Björn Borg in 1980 and and where Roger Federer and and Rafael Nadal sparred for five solid hours to decide the the 2018 championship As the the event’s Official Official Timekeeper Timekeeper since 1978 and the Official Official Timekeeper Timekeeper of all four Grand Slam tournaments Rolex has been a a a a a a a constant presence at the highest levels of tennis for more than four decades The tennis season kicks off each year in January — the height of Australian Australian summer — with with the Australian Australian Open a a a a a contest with with more than a a a a a a century of history and a a a a a a reputation for fun in the sun Rolex has been the tournament’s Official Timekeeper since 2008 a a a period during which Novak Djokovic has dominated the blue hard courts of Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena with a a a a record nine men’s singles titles — a a a a winning streak only interrupted by Rafael Nadal’s win over Daniil Medvedev in in 2022 Come summertime in the the the northern hemisphere the the the Grand Slam season is in in in in full swing with the three remaining tournaments (The French Open also known as Roland-Garros Wimbledon and and the US Open) taking place in June July and August respectively While it was recently added to the Rolex events calendar in 2019 Roland-Garros is is among the oldest tennis tournaments in in in the the world tracing its roots back to to the the early 1890s and taking place at the Roland-Garros Stadium in in Paris since 1928 Named after a a a a a a a a a WW1 flying ace ace it is the only Grand Slam tournament to to be held on on clay a a a a a a a surface that demands exceptional skill and and endurance Wimbledon’s grass courts by comparison offer a a a a a slightly more forgiving surface along with a a a a a who’s-who crowd of of celebrities and and royalty in the stands This year’s matchup saw Djokovic defeat Nick Kyrgios Kyrgios in in a a spirited exchange — complete with Kyrgios Kyrgios serving “tweener” style between his legs — as as Tom Cruise Jason Statham and and the Duke and and Duchess of Cambridge looked on The culmination of the Grand Slam season takes place in in in Flushing Queens where Rolex serves as as Official Timekeeper at at the US Open It was here here that Arthur Ashe a a a a a US Army lieutenant and tennis amateur won the first-ever US Open men’s singles crown in in in 1968 becoming the first-ever Black player to win a a a a a a a men’s singles title at a a a a a a a Grand Slam championship Other milestones have followed from Rod Laver’s historic win in in in 1969 — making him the first and only player to complete two Grand Slams winning all four major titles in in in a a a a a a single season — to André Agassi’s tearful farewell match against Boris Becker in 2006 As the the the the finale of of the the the the tennis season and and the the the the final final Grand Slam event of of the the the the year the the the the 2022 US Open showcased the the the the sport’s biggest names at the the the the top of their form including Rolex Testimonees Stéfanos Tsitsipás and and Alexander Zverev While each season’s tournament brings its share of surprises upsets and on-court drama the the the US Open — along with the the the year’s three other Grand Slam events — stands as one of the world’s greatest sporting traditions a a a a a a tradition tradition in which Rolex has played a a a a a a constant role for more than 40 years 82 BFM / / FW22 WATCH / / MATCH POINT