Style Edit: Rolex Testimonee Jannik Sinner wins Shanghai Masters – the brand also supports top stars like Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz and women’s world No 1 Iga Swiatek

Oct 25 , 2024

Jannik Sinner (Italy) lifts the Shanghai Masters winner’s trophy following his victory on October 13. Photos: Handout

The Swiss luxury watchmaker has been the title sponsor of Asia’s leading tennis tournament since 2010, and is also a partner of all four grand slam events

The Rolex Shanghai Masters came to a conclusion on October 13, with world No 1 and Rolex Testimonee Jannik Sinner securing a straight sets victory over the legendary Novak Djokovic to take the title. It was a thrilling end to a tournament that saw the world’s 96 top male players fight it out across two weeks of fierce competition.

When it comes to men’s tennis in Asia, the Rolex Shanghai Masters is where it’s at. It’s the second to last among the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Masters 1000 events on the calendar, nine tournaments that are the most coveted titles in world tennis, after the four grand slams and the ATP Finals.

Played in the spectacular Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena on the outskirts of Shanghai, with its spectacular retractable roof that resembles the petals of a magnolia, it’s the only Masters 1000 event to take place outside Europe and North America.

Carlos Alcaraz (Spain, pictured) lost against Tomáš Macháč (Czech Republic) in the quarter-finals

Partnering with what has become Asia’s leading tournament, Rolex is the Shanghai Masters’ title sponsor. The renowned brand, synonymous the world over with the technical excellence and aesthetic sophistication of Swiss luxury watchmaking, has sponsored the event since 2010, as part of a wider initiative to support tennis’ biggest tournaments, as well as its leading players, tours and institutions.

Rolex’s association with tennis goes back to 1978, when the brand was appointed Official Timekeeper of The Championships, Wimbledon, the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament. Since then, it has become an official partner of the other three grand slams – the US, French and Australian Opens – as well as the ATP Finals, the other Masters 1000 competitions, nine Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournaments and the WTA Finals, plus the Davis Cup and Laver Cup.

Jannik Sinner (Italy, pictured) beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) in the finals

Rolex also extends its involvement with the game to its treasured family of Testimonees, leading lights of the game to whom it offers its support. They include many of the all-time greats of the sport, such as Roger Federer, Chris Evert, Rod Laver, Stefan Edberg and Björn Borg, as well as a number of its current top performers – the men’s No 1 Jannik Sinner and recent women’s No 1 Iga Swiatek, reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, and China’s star player Zheng Qinwen.

The brand’s support of Zheng, who capped off an incredible rise to prominence with China’s first Olympic tennis gold medal at the Paris 2024 games, is part of its long-term commitment to advancing and promoting the sport in the country over the past two decades. In addition to supporting the Shanghai Masters, Rolex has been Official Timekeeper of the China Open in Beijing since 2005, while since 2011, its family of Testimonees has included China’s greatest ever player, double grand slam winner Li Na.