As the 2023 season gets underway, the world’s leading tennis players will descend upon Melbourne Park to contest the Australian Open from 16-29 January. Rolex has been Official Timekeeper to the first of the season’s four Grand Slam® tournaments since 2008 whilst the brand’s relationship with the sport dates back to 1978 when Rolex partnered with The Championships, Wimbledon – the sport’s oldest and most revered tournament. Since then, Rolex has forged links with the four Grand Slam tournaments, all major events in the men’s and women’s game and the leading international team competitions.
First held in 1905, the Australian Open was originally played on grass before moving to its current state-of-the-art venue in 1988, which increased attendance by 90 per cent. Now regarded as one of the biggest sporting events in the Southern Hemisphere, the Australian Open provides an opportunity for players to lay the foundations for a strong season. Rolex Testimonees are synonymous with the tournament with many claiming multiple triumphs including Rod Laver (1960, 1962, 1969), Chris Evert (1982, 1984), Stefan Edberg (1985, 1987), Jim Courier (1992, 1993) and Roger Federer (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018).
A figurehead and role model for multiple generations of tennis players, Rod Laver has the centre court in Melbourne Park named in his honour for his remarkable career that spanned the amateur and professional eras. Speaking ahead of this year’s tournament, he said: “Melbourne is such a special place for the opening act of the Grand Slam season. It has witnessed some of the greatest contests in the history of our sport and I consider it a privilege to have been able to play in some of them. The 2023 tournament promises to be particularly exciting with a strong draw and full capacity crowds expected at Melbourne Park. I am really looking forward to watching the world’s leading players battle it out in my home major.”
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
Leading the way for the Rolex family will be 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz who had an exceptional 2022, winning his first Grand Slam title at the US Open and becoming the youngest ever World No. 1 in ATP Tour history. In the women’s draw, 21-year-old Iga Świątek will be seeking to improve on her previous semi-final appearance and add to her Grand Slam title tally after triumphs at Roland-Garros (2020, 2022) and the US Open (2022).
“Melbourne is such a special place for the opening act of the Grand Slam season. It has witnessed some of the greatest contests in the history of our sport and I consider it a privilege to have been able to play in some of them. The 2023 tournament promises to be particularly exciting with a strong draw and full capacity crowds expected at Melbourne Park. I am really looking forward to watching the world’s leading players battle it out in my home major.”
Joining them in Melbourne will be several Testimonees striving to maintain the momentum from exceptional campaigns last year, including Caroline Garcia who wrapped up the 2022 season with her biggest career victory at the WTA Finals.
Americans Cori Gauff and Taylor Fritz both made their top ten debuts in the singles rankings in 2022, displaying their unwavering efforts to reach the heights of the game, while Stéfanos Tsitsipás earned his fourth consecutive Nitto ATP Finals qualification in November. A three-time semi-finalist, the Greek World No. 3 will be determined to go one better at this year’s Australian Open. Commenting on the atmosphere, Tsitsipás said:
“Whenever I come here, I feel a great affinity with the people. They provide so much support – in tennis that helps a lot. People come and support me annually, which is a great thing. It’s called the ‘Happy Slam’ for a reason.”
