Geneva, 22 August 2022 – Rolex returns as the Official Timekeeper for the 142nd edition of the US Open, which will be staged at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City from 29 August to 11 September.

With origins dating back to 1881, the US Open is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world and the fourth and final Grand Slam^® tournament of the season. The 2022 event marks 25 years since Arthur Ashe Stadium opened its gates. Renowned for its electric atmosphere, there is no venue quite like this one, the largest in tennis with a seating capacity exceeding 23,500. The energy generated by the fans is synonymous with the city that never sleeps. Since its inauguration, the stadium has been a theatre for countless spectacular moments, many of them integral to the US Open’s reputation as one of the world’s most thrilling sporting events.

The conditions test the resolve and ability of even the tennis elite, with the acrylic hard courts producing a high bounce and fast pace of play. Success in this supercharged environment requires the highest levels of performance, composure and skill.

Rolex’s association with the US Open as Official Sponsor and Official Timekeeper is part of a long-standing relationship with tennis that began at The Championships, Wimbledon, in 1978. Since then, the brand has expanded its presence in the game and joined forces with a range of organizations, players and tournaments, including all four Grand Slam events, united with these partners in the pursuit of elegance, precision and perpetual excellence.

RECORD-BREAKING LAVER                                                                                                                  The US Open has been the scene of some of the sport’s most epic matches and welcomed all the greats over the decades, among them an exclusive group of Rolex Testimonees who have triumphed here.

One such player is Rod Laver, who won 11 Grand Slam men’s singles titles during a career that spanned the amateur and professional eras. Universally regarded as one of the greatest players to pick up a tennis racket, the Australian first won the US singles crown 60 years ago, thereby completing the Calendar Grand Slam as an amateur.

Accomplished by only a select few, holding all four Grand Slam trophies in the same year represents the pinnacle of achievement in the game. Laver remains the only men’s singles player to execute this feat twice, doing so seven years apart.

Reflecting on his maiden US Open triumph, Laver said:

“The year 1962 will always live long in my memory. Knowing I am a part of only
a handful of people to achieve the Calendar Grand Slam is a humbling feeling;
but to be the only man to do it twice is something I have only really come to
terms with as I look back on my career. New York will always hold a special
place in my heart.”

Another Testimonee who has etched her name in the tournament’s annals is Chris Evert, whose 18 Grand Slam singles titles included a record six at this event. She remains the only woman in the Open era to win four consecutive US Open singles titles, achieving this on two surfaces. Her first three victories, from 1975 to 1977, came on clay at Forest Hills, her triumphs in 1978, 1980 and 1982 on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows.

Roger Federer, a former World No. 1 and the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles championships, enjoyed one of the most dominant reigns of any player at the US Open, winning an unprecedented five straight titles between 2004 and 2008.

The dominance of Laver, Evert and Federer in New York has helped secure their legacies, paving the way for the next generation of Rolex Testimonees and aspiring athletes.

TESTIMONEES CONTENDING FOR VICTORY
Leading the way for the Rolex family in 2022 is World No. 1 Iga Świątek, whose stellar season has brought six tournament victories, including a second Grand Slam title, at Roland-Garros. En route, her winning streak of 37 matches equalled the longest stretch of victories in the women’s game since 1990.

Cori Gauff will be seeking to go one step further after making her Grand Slam final debut against Świątek in Paris in June. The 18-year-old American enjoyed a strong first half of the season, which led to a career-high world ranking of 11. She will aim to feed off the enthusiastic home support, much like the 2017 women’s singles champion and fellow Testimonee Sloane Stephens.

Having taken the tennis world by storm over the past 18 months, teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz will be hoping to build on his impressive showing at the US Open last year, when he reached the quarter-finals. The current World No. 4 has captured four titles to date this season, including two highest-status ATP Masters 1000 trophies, in Miami and Madrid. Joining him on the quest for a first Grand Slam win will be Stéfanos Tsitsipás and Taylor Fritz, who this year also captured ATP Masters 1000 titles, in Monte Carlo and Indian Wells, respectively.