Geneva, Switzerland, 30 August 2021 – The world’s finest tennis players will assemble for the US Open from 30 August to 12 September. With fans flocking back to New York – unlike 12 months ago, there will be no restrictions on numbers this year – competitors will once again be galvanized by the clamour of a crowd unlike any other.

The final Grand Slam® tournament of the season generates an electric atmosphere and a palpable energy that are synonymous with the city that never sleeps. Amid the tumult in this supercharged environment, players must tap into their deepest resources to deliver their best performance.

With roots dating back to 1881, the US Open is among the oldest tennis tournaments in the world. Rolex’s association as the event’s Official Timekeeper is part of a long-standing partnership with the sport that was inaugurated at The Championships, Wimbledon, more than four decades ago and has since expanded to all levels of the game. Over the years the Swiss watchmaker has joined forces with a range of organizations, players and tournaments, including all four Grand Slam® events, united in the pursuit of elegance, precision and perpetual excellence.

TESTIMONEE SUCCESS AT THE US OPEN

Some of the sport’s most epic matches have unfolded at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center since it became the event’s home in 1978, with Rolex Testimonees featuring in many of them. Those to achieve highest honours at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest arena in tennis, include Chris Evert and Roger Federer.

Evert is one of the most successful players of all time with 18 Grand Slam titles, a record six of them coming in New York. She is the only woman to win US singles titles on two surfaces: her first three, from 1975–77, were achieved on the Forest Hills clay, while her triumphs, in 1978, 1980 and 1982 came on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows. Swiss maestro Federer has also enjoyed sustained success on the distinctive blue surface, capturing five consecutive Grand Slam singles titles from 2004 to 2008. Between them, Evert and Federer have paved the way for the next generation of Rolex Testimonees, setting a benchmark for these aspiring athletes.

Other members of the Rolex family to lift the singles crown include Rod Laver, Stefan Edberg, Pat Rafter, Justine Hénin, Juan Martín Del Potro, Angelique Kerber and Sloane Stephens.

Among the current crop of champions, World No. 7 Bianca Andreescu became the first Canadian player, man or woman, to win a Grand Slam title when triumphant as a 19-year-old two years ago. And last year, Dominic Thiem came from two sets down to claim his maiden Grand Slam trophy, overcoming fellow Rolex Testimonee and recent Olympic Games champion Alexander Zverev in the men’s final. 

ROLEX TESTIMONEES SEEKING SUCCESS

Joining that trio in New York will be World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas, who will be vying for his first Grand Slam singles title after an impressive first half of 2021 in which he claimed the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title and became the first Greek player to reach a Grand Slam final at Roland-Garros.

World No. 8 Iga Swiatek will be looking to add to her 2020 Roland-Garros crown, while Jannik Sinner and Cori Gauff, two rising stars of the game, will be emboldened after winning titles in 2021.