When Tennis Meets Haute Horlogerie: The $1M+ Wrist Game At This Year's U.S. Open

At the 2025 U.S. Open, elite tennis players aren’t just competing on the court—they’re making serious style statements through their wrists and necks. The tournament has become a glittering showcase where top competitors sport timepieces and jewelry pieces worth anywhere from $1,350 to over $1 million, transforming matches into a luxury accessory exhibition.

The Watch Wars: From Rolex To Richard Mille

Rolex dominates the tennis sponsorship landscape, with seven of the top 10 men’s and women’s players wearing the Swiss brand. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, a Rolex-sponsored athlete, famously wore a Daytona worth nearly $40,000 after his Wimbledon victory in July. Last year at the U.S. Open championship, Sinner selected a GMT Master II ‘Root Beer’ retailing for $18,000 to celebrate his victory.

The sponsor-switching game intensified this season. Alexander Zverev, ranked No. 3, transitioned from Richard Mille to Jacob & Co., debuting what appeared to be an Epic X model watch (valued between $24,000-$140,000) during his Tuesday match. Andrey Rublev (No. 15) moved from Bvlgari to Vanguart, displaying a $180,000 titanium Orb timepiece—the same statement piece he first unveiled at Wimbledon—during his Monday victory against Dino Prižmić.

Jessica Pegula (No. 4), daughter of oil magnate Terrence Pegula, played with a De Bethune DB28xs Starry Seas worth approximately $90,000, the same Swiss-made timepiece worn by Emma Navarro (No. 11, daughter of billionaire Ben Navarro). Tommy Paul is also set to display the identical De Bethune model when he competes.

Historic watch spending reaches stratospheric levels with retired champion Rafael Nadal, who wore multiple Richard Mille timepieces exceeding $1 million each. His 2020 French Open RM 27-04 ($1.05 million) and 2022 Australian Open victory watch, combined with the RM27-05 manual winding flying tourbillon valued at $1.1 million from the 2024 French Open, have since appreciated to $2-3 million in today’s market.

Jewelry Showcase: Sabalenka’s Custom Stones Lead The Pack

Beyond watches, custom jewelry has become the tournament’s second stage. World No. 1 women’s player Aryna Sabalenka made headlines by debuting custom Sabalenka jewelry pieces commemorating her eighth U.S. Open appearance. Her gold collection from Material Good included a choker featuring eight pear-cut diamonds (seven white, one imperial topaz), a tourmaline necklace with eight small diamonds, and matching drop earrings each set with eight stones. While custom pricing wasn’t disclosed, comparable Material Good pieces range from $2,800 to $13,400.

Amanda Anisimova (No. 8) partnered with Tiffany & Co. for the tournament, showcasing the Hardware Collection in gold during her Wednesday match—two bracelets, earrings, and a pendant necklace totaling over $10,000.

Madison Keys (No. 6) made history as Brilliant Earth’s inaugural athlete ambassador, wearing a custom $1,350 gold medallion necklace bearing her name, featuring a four-leaf clover design on one side with nine diamonds, and embossed symbols of horseshoe, sun, moon, heart, and key on the reverse.

Elina Svitolina (Ukraine, No. 12) competed Monday wearing Hublot’s $24,000 Spirit of Big Bang Steel Pavé diamond watch—the same brand sponsoring Novak Djokovic.

The Sponsorship Ecosystem: Brands Beyond The Court

Watch brand partnerships extend into celebrity territory. Last year’s U.S. Open saw John Mayer, Serena Williams, and newly-minted billionaire Roger Federer spotted wearing high-end timepieces in the stands. Federer wore Rolex’s rare Daytona 100th Anniversary 24 Hours of Le Mans Yellow Gold 40MM, estimated at $250,000+. Travis Kelce displayed a Rolex Day-Date in 18K yellow gold with baguette-cut diamonds, while Jayson Tatum wore rose gold Patek Philippe.

Aryna Sabalenka also maintains a separate Audemars Piguet sponsorship, recently wearing a $91,300 Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph while promoting her “Drinks On Us” Dobel Tequila campaign. Last year’s U.S. Open women’s champion (Sabalenka) collected her trophy wearing a pink gold Royal Oak Offshore set with 32 baguette-cut rainbow gemstones, valued at $114,000.

World No. 1 men’s player Jannik Sinner, a Gucci global ambassador, was photographed with the brand’s $2,150 duffle bag in U.S. Open colors (yellow and blue), expected to make appearances throughout the tournament.

Cincinnati Open champion Carlos Alcaraz recently hoisted his trophy while wearing a $38,000 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Tiffany” with an iconic Tiffany-blue dial.

The Official Luxury Partner Network

The U.S. Open itself collaborates with major luxury brands. Tiffany & Co. renewed its multi-year partnership in 2023 as the official trophy partner, handcrafting five separate sterling silver awards annually—two Singles Championship trophies (18 inches, 9 pounds each) and three Doubles trophies (5.5 pounds each). This year’s Tiffany experience features a one-of-a-kind tennis racket embedded with 5 carats of diamonds and a 24-karat gold vermeil tennis ball stitched with nearly 7 carats of diamonds.

Rolex has served as official timekeeper since 2018, with branded clocks positioned throughout the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Polo Ralph Lauren remains the official fashion and outfitter partner.

The luxury accessory game at tennis’ premier American tournament demonstrates how sponsorships have transformed athletic competitions into platforms for brands to showcase their most exclusive creations, with players serving as walking billboards for six and seven-figure investments in precision engineering and gemstone craftsmanship.