Professional tennis players often wear luxurious watches on and off the court. One might think it is inconvenient to wear this kind of watch during a tennis match, yet some players choose to always wear one while playing. Other players opt to only wear the expensive wrist jewelry off the court.
Tennis players are paid significant amounts of money to wear watches for sponsorship deals. A tennis player’s wrist is filmed repeatedly during a tennis match, making high-profile tennis players great ambassadors to represent luxury watch brands. Some players wear watches during matches but not all.
It is hard not to notice that some high-profile professional tennis players wear watches during tennis matches.
Most amateur tennis players will tell you that wearing a watch can be a hindrance while playing tennis, so why do tennis players wear watches?
Why Do Tennis Players Wear Wrist Watches?
Tennis players do not wear watches on and off the court because they want to be able to check the time. Tennis players wear watches, specifically luxury watches, because the watch brand pays them to do so.
Luxurious watch brands, such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Richard Mille, are heavily interested in providing high-profile tennis players with sponsorships because a tennis player’s wrist is almost always visible during a tennis match, especially to viewers watching on television.
Thanks to the constant close-up angles and slow-motion shots of a player’s hands holding a racquet or tennis ball, watches get a great amount of screen time. Thus, a tennis player’s wrist has become prime real estate for watch companies to make themselves known.
The method of advertising is subtle yet very effective. Fans who look up to their favorite players adopt a similar liking to the watch brand the players are associated with.
It should be noted that popularity is an extremely important factor for players to score deals worth millions of dollars with luxury watch brands. So, only high-ranking and high-profile tennis players often seen on TV, like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, are offered sponsorships from watch companies.
When Are Tennis Players Expected To Wear Their Watches?
Players can negotiate deals with watch companies regarding the times and places they are expected to wear one of the company’s watches.
Most players and watch brands negotiate deals where the tennis player is expected to put on the watch during interviews before and after a match, during practice, at press conferences, and at high-profile events.
It is in the watch company’s best interest to get their ambassador to wear the watch as much as possible during public events more maximum exposure.
An increasing number of players are signing deals that include wearing the respective watch for the duration of a tennis match.
Do Some Tennis Players Wear Watches During Matches?
Though it may seem counterintuitive to many tennis players, some professional tennis players who get the opportunity to sign a deal with a luxurious watch brand opt to wear their watch during a tennis match.
These players remain few, but there is no doubt that they get highly compensated for wearing the watch during one of their tennis matches, as this is when they are the most watched by fans.
Rafael Nadal Wears A Richard Mille Watch While He Plays
Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest players of all time, has been wearing Richard Mille watches on his wrist during matches since 2010. The champion of 22 Grand Slams first wore the Richard Mille Ultra-Light RM 027 Tourbillon at his favorite Grand Slam tournament, Rolland Garros (French Open).
Many fans were surprised when he first began to wear a watch while playing. The Spanish player is notoriously known for being superstitious on the court; his most famous is how he meticulously arranges his water bottles next to his chair.
It was hard to believe that this player would purposefully add extra weight to his wrist, but it did not hinder his level play.
Serena Williams Wears Audemars Piguet Watches While Playing
The recently retired Serena Williams has been an ambassador of Audemars Piguet since 2014. She has worn various Audemars Piguet watches throughout this deal, both on and off the court.
She has won several of her 23 Grand Slams while sporting watches for this brand.
Why Do Most Tennis Players Only Wear Watches After Matches?
Most tennis players negotiate deals with watch companies that do not require them to wear a watch when playing a competitive tennis match.
Players prefer not to wear a watch on either wrist during a tennis match because it can be uncomfortable and hinder their play. When playing at the highest level in any sport, players are reluctant to add any extra weight or wear an object with even the smallest chance of altering their performance.
In addition, most luxury watch brands do not focus on designing sports watches, which is why many brands, such as Rolex, do not expect their ambassadors to wear a Rolex watch during a competitive tennis match.
Which Watch Brands Sponsor Tennis Players?
Due to the high exposure of tennis players’ wrists during games, luxury watch brands have been fighting over the sponsorship of the best tennis players in the world. The table below displays the world’s most famous tennis players, each sponsored by a luxury watch brand.
In truth, only a few top tennis players turn away from a watch sponsorship. Even Novak Djokovic, who has eluded watch companies for a long time, recently signed a deal with a major luxury watch brand.
The most notable watch brands at the forefront of tennis player sponsorships include; Rolex, Hublot, Audemars Piguet, Richar Mille, TAG Heuer, Bovet, Bulgari, and Radio.
| Pro Tennis Player | Watch Brand |
|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | Hublot |
| Rafael Nadal | Richard Mille |
| Roger Federer | Rolex |
| Serena Williams | Audemars Piguet |
| Dominic Thiem | Rolex |
| Alexander Zverev | Richard Mille |
| Garbine Mugurza | Rolex |
| Kei Nishikori | TAG Heuer |
| Andy Murray | Rado |
| Stan Wawrinka | Audemars Piguet |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | Rolex |
| Andrey Rublev | Bulgari |
| Grigor Dimitrov | Rolex |
| Daniil Medvedev | Bovet |
| Carlos Alcaraz | Rolex |
Conclusion
Luxury watch companies pay tennis players to wear watches in public for advertising. The amount of exposure a tennis player gets, whether on a tennis court, in interviews, in press conferences, or at public events, makes it worthwhile for watch companies to sponsor high-profile players.
Some players strike deals where they are expected to wear a watch during competitive tennis matches, while other players make deals where they are not required to wear a watch during a match.