PRESS RELEASE

ROLEX PARTNERS WITH THE LAVER CUP, A NEW TEAM COMPETITION INSPIRED BY A LEGEND

Geneva Monday 18, September 2017 – Rolex is partnering with the Laver Cup, an exciting new tennis team competition between and the rest of the world that promises to become one of international sport’s great rivalries.

The inaugural edition in on 22–24 September will feature top-ranked players on the men’s tour, including Swiss phenomenon and Rolex Testimonee , and Spain’s . Both are confirmed starters, though for the first time in their professional careers, these best of rivals will – figuratively, perhaps literally – be on the same side of the net. Other top players due to take part include Testimonees (Austria) and Juan Martín Del Potro (Argentina).

As a Founding Partner of the Laver Cup, Rolex is marking another important milestone in its enduring partnership with tennis, which dates to 1978 when it became the Timekeeper at Wimbledon. Since then, the brand has extended its association to other prestigious tournaments around the world and leading players. It has been a rewarding association based on a commitment to excellence, which Rolex shares with the biggest names and the finest events in tennis. The Laver Cup marks a further step in this long-term support for the development of the sport.

The six-man teams will have as their non-playing captains two other revered rivals from a previous era, namely Rolex Testimonee Björn Borg of Sweden, leading , and the man who in 1981 ended his five-year reign as Wimbledon champion, John McEnroe, guiding Team World.

The event is named after Australian tennis legend and Rolex Testimonee , universally acknowledged as one of the game’s greatest ever competitors, a winner of 11 ® singles titles and the only player to twice win all four major titles (, Roland-Garros, The Championships, Wimbledon and the US Open) in a calendar year.

The concept is inspired by golf’s Ryder Cup, the compelling biennial team competition between Europe and the United States, also supported by Rolex and whose format served as a template for the event. The Laver Cup will be contested over three days, each featuring three singles and one doubles match.

1/2 Rolex partners with the Laver Cup, a new team competition inspired by a tennis legend

The idea of the competition originated from Federer, who, himself a legend with 19 men’s Grand Slam singles titles to his name, wanted to pay tribute to Rod Laver’s legacy. Needless to say, Rod Laver was honoured by the idea. Federer has been an integral part of the Rolex family for many years, as part of the Swiss watchmaker’s strong support of tennis since 1978, making it a natural step for Rolex to champion Federer’s vision. Tennis has few team events apart from the Rolex-supported and Federer and Laver both agreed, based on their own experiences – Laver was a five-time Davis Cup winner, Federer led to its only triumph in 2014 – that players who have spent most of their careers pursuing individual honours would embrace the team ethos on a big stage.

The winning team will be presented with a hand-crafted silver trophy that includes molten metal from one of Laver’s first professional trophies, with design elements honouring his achievements.

Laver said: “I am so proud to have my name on it. Every win, of course, had its significance during my career but to see them represented collectively, all these years later, is extremely special.”

Federer described the Laver Cup as a fitting tribute to a tennis hero: “For me, Rod Laver is the greatest player of all time and I’m thrilled that the Laver Cup creates a legacy that future generations can also cherish.”

ABOUT ROLEX Rolex, the Swiss watch brand headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its Oyster and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the brand pioneered the development of the wristwatch and is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A OFFICIAL WEBSITE www.rolex.com truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting ROLEX PRESS ROOM http://pressroom.rolex.com/en/sports- of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, and-culture/partnership-activities/rolex- case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, and-tennis-news.html exploration, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of MEDIA CONTACT sponsoring activities, as well as philanthropic programmes. Virginie Chevailler Rolex SA [email protected] +41 22 302 26 19 2/2