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Home , 2019 Australian Open, Belinda Bencic, Taylor Fritz

PRESS RELEASE

THE 2019 INAUGURATES ROLEX’S FIRST SEASON AS PARTNER TO ALL FOUR ® TOURNAMENTS

Geneva, Monday 14 January 2019 – Rolex has been supporting for more than 40 years, during which time it has championed performance excellence while respecting the sport’s great traditions. Starting in 2019, this long-standing partnership will extend to all four Grand Slam® tournaments: the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, The Championships, Wimbledon, and the US Open. This remarkable engagement once again emphasizes Rolex’s pioneering role in sports sponsorship and its unwavering commitment to the development of tennis worldwide.

FROM 1978 TO TODAY It all started back in 1978 when Rolex became the Official Timekeeper at The Championships, Wimbledon, the sport’s original and most prestigious tournament.

Over the ensuing decades, the partnership with tennis has blossomed, extending to the most exciting talent, the principal institutions administering the sport and many more top-level events, including the men’s NITTO ATP Finals and the women’s BNP Paribas WTA Finals, the , the , and all the ATP Masters 1000 and WTA Premier Mandatory events.

ROLEX AND THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN Since 2008, Rolex has been Associate Sponsor and Official Timekeeper of the Australian Open, whose roots go back to 1905 when it was first played on grass, a tradition that continued until 1988 when the event was moved from Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club to the hard courts of Park.

The first of the four Grand Slam® events, the Australian Open has been dubbed the “happy slam” by Swiss phenomenon . Every January, record numbers of tennis enthusiasts gather in a festive mood in Melbourne to watch the world’s best players compete in Australia’s summer heat.

Defending champions and Federer are both Rolex Testimonees. Federer arrives in Melbourne after another hugely successful season in 2018, during which he regained the World No. 1 ranking at age 36. It was here a year ago that he defeated Marin Čilić in a five-set final to win a record-equalling sixth Australian Open crown and extend to 20 his record of men’s Grand Slam® singles titles. He starts 2019 with 99 career singles titles and victory No. 100 firmly in his sights.

1/2 THE INAUGURATES ROLEX’S FIRST SEASON AS PARTNER TO ALL FOUR GRAND SLAM® TOURNAMENTS

Many other great names have adorned the tournament, including Rolex Testimonee Rod Laver (AUS), one of the most successful players in tennis history. In 2000, Laver, a three-time winner of the Australian title, was honoured with the main stadium at the complex being named after him.

ROLEX AND TENNIS In addition to partnering the four Grand Slam® tournaments, Rolex supports high-ranking players. Its Testimonees include Roger Federer (SUI), (SUI), (BUL), (USA), (FRA), (GBR), (GER), (RUS), Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP), Jelena Ostapenko (LAT), Juan Martín Del Potro (ARG), (FRA), (CAN), (USA), (AUT), (GRE) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA). Many legends of the sport are also part of the Rolex family, including several former Australian Open winners: the USA’s Chris Evert (1982, 1984), China’s (2014) and the most recent inductee, Swede (1985, 1987).

ABOUT ROLEX AN UNRIVALLED REPUTATION FOR QUALITY AND EXPERTISE

Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. 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 500 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex To download high-resolution images, please visit the Rolex Pressroom: designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its

ROLEX AND TENNIS watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly https://pressroom.rolex.com/en/sports- and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Through philanthropic and-culture/partnership-activities/rolex- and-tennis-news.html programmes and a broad palette of sponsorship activities, Rolex is also actively

ROLEX PRESSROOM involved in supporting the arts, sports and exploration, and encourages the spirit of pressroom.rolex.com enterprise, as well as the conservation of natural environments. MEDIA CONTACT Rolex SA Virginie Chevailler [email protected] Tel: +41 (0)22 302 26 19 2/2