Wimbledon 2026 is soon upon us, and here, we’re celebrating some of the best watches tennis players have worn through history.
Tennis players have always had great style when it comes to watches – be it Rafa Nadal on the court in a super-light Richard Mille, Björn Borg wearing a stunning Cartier or Roger Federer flexing his Rolex off the court – the players have always worn their watches well.
Here are nine of the best.
Björn Borg in Rolex
Five-times Wimbledon winner Bjorn Borg, AKA the ‘ice man’, could often be seen sporting a Rolex – like below in this classic photo with his arch tennis rival, John McEnroe, where he’s seen wearing a Rolex Dadjust on a Jubilee bracelet.
Borg’s relationship with Rolex goes way back. In the second photo here, you can see Borg in 1980 with Rolex CEO, André Heiniger. On the eve of the men’s finals at Wimbledon, Borg was up against McEnroe once more. Here, the CEO can be seen adjusting the watch strap on a fancy new Rolex for Borg, who went on to triumph in the match overall.
Since then, Borg has gone on to become a Rolex testimonee alongside his work as an ambassador for the sport. After his retirement from professional tennis, Borg went on serve as captain of Team Europe in the annual Laver Cup men’s team competition. At the end of his tenure as that, Borg was given another Rolex with his old sparring partner McEnroe, who also retired at the same time as Borg. Borg received a Rolex GMT-Master II with a commemorative engraving on its casebac. To match his captain’s jacket, he was given the GMT-Master II ‘batman’ on an Oyster bracelet.
Speaking about being a Rolex testimonee, Borg has said in the past: “Seeing the Rolex crown when I go to these exceptional events makes me extremely proud. I feel very honoured and happy that I’m part of the Rolex family, and it feels like I’m still part of the tournaments because of this relationship.”
Andy Murray in Rado
The first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, Andy Murray was a British hero who played with grit, determination and style. Winning Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, his watch sponsor, pioneering Swiss brand Rado, were always by his side.
One of the best of these was the HyperChrome Automatic Chronograph. While there are several versions of this, Murray’s was the classic plain black edition. One of the classiest of the models he wore was the Rado Hypercrhrome XXL after winning Wimbledon in 2013.
Murray became a global ambassador for Rado in 2012. Rado CEO Matthias Breschan commented at the time: “Since 2012, sports fans have taken Andy to their hearts as a new tennis hero. We’re delighted that this cool Rado TVC shows Andy’s fun side as well as his dedication to his training. We are sure Andy’s fans will love it and are convinced it will continue to make Rado synonymous with tennis.”
Rado are known for using a range of ground-breaking materials to create some of the world’s most durable watches. Extremely lightweight, scratch-resistant and comfortable to wear – it’s the perfect brand for any tennis champion.
Rafael Nadal in Richard Mille
Two-times Wimbledon winner Rafael Nadal always looked stylish on the court – not least thanks to his love of Richard Mille watches. Picking up a massive 14 wins at the French open at Roland Garros, Nadal often lifted the trophy wearing his favourite watch brand. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their partnership together in 2020, Richard Mille created the RM27-04 Tourbillion Rafael Nadal.
The tonneau case of the watch is constructed from titanium with a black PVD coating in line with Richard Mille’s luxury style. Weighing just 30 grams, the dial of the watch is unique with calibre and hands suspended on a mesh of steel wires to mirror the strings of a tennis racket. The movement is visible on both sides of the watch thanks to some plush sapphire crystals. The watch also set a new record, being able to withstand accelerations of over 12,000g. The watch itself was limited to just 50 pieces. The watch was worth a cool million pounds upon its release – now, on the secondary market, it’s worth double this.
Roger Federer in Rolex
Roger Federer is no stranger to Rolex and earlier this year, he was spotted wearing one of Rolex’s most secretive releases of 2025 in March, ahead of its debut at Watches and Wonders in Geneva back in April.
The tennis sensation and twenty-times Grand Slam winner turned heads in spring after he was spotted wearing the new unreleased Rolex Land-Dweller. Federer’s new stainless steel Rolex Land-Dweller was inspired by the clean, sleek design of the vintage Oyster quartz. The watch features a stylish flat Jubilee bracelet, a refined silver dial, and an open case-back, a unique choice for Rolex, known for traditionally closed backs.
The watch has a slimmer, flatter case designed for an integrated bracelet; the bracelet itself combines elements of Rolex’s famous Jubilee with the modern style of the iconic Royal Oak. Notably, it also features a hidden crown clasp, previously only seen on Rolex’s prestigious Presidential bracelets.
Serena Williams, Audemars Piguet
One of the most enviable watch collections among tennis players is that by Serena Williams – particularly her collection of Audemars Piguet watches.
The prolific player, who won 23 Grand Slam titles during her professional career, stunned in May 2024 at the Met Gala wearing a unique Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The model worn by Williams was a variation of the openworked model that featured a flying tourbillon within a skeletonised construction.
The watch was Sand Gold in colour- and i’s unique shades chimed beautifully with Serena’s striking gold outfit on the night.
Gaël Monfils, Patek Philippe
The renowned French player is an enthusiastic watch collector with, according to Mr Porter, 50 special timepieces to his name – and he’s even a judge at the Le Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève.
Mr Porter note that Monfils has sported some serious timepieces over the years – including a Patek Philippe Flyback Chrono, a Voutilainen GMT-6, a Chronomètre Bleu from F.P.Journe, and a Greubel Forsey GMT Sport. One of the most plush of these is most certainly the Patek Philippe Flyback Chrono. You can check out one of the models here:
Carlos Alcaraz, Rolex
The tennis ace – and favourite to win this year’s Wimbledon – recently became the proud owner of a rare new Rolex. Alcaraz showed off the watch most recently at the Madrid premiere of his new Netflix documentary series about his life to date, entitled Carlos Alcaraz: My Way. The watch in question was a Rolex Daytona 116576TBR, made entirely of platinum with a diamond set bezel and a cool, ice-blue dial.
The dial in question also has Arabic numerals. Rolex models with this feature are few and far between, making it an extremely sought after item. Estimates predict that on the secondary market alone, the watches sell for over £200,000. The watch had its first outing a little before the premiere of his new series at the Laureus Sports Awards on April 21, where he also made an appearance alongside the likes of tennis heroes Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Kelly Slater.
Alcaraz is no stranger to Rolex watches, having worn another super rare Rolex to last year’s Wimbledon final. The year before, he wore another rare Daytona to accept his Wimbledon trophy.
Novak Djokovic, Audemars Piguet
The Serbian tennis star is a noted watch lover and stands out for how he’s partnered with multiple watch brands over the years.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner was first an ambassador for Audemars Piguet in 2011, before later switching to Seiko in 2014. Next, he partnered with Hublot.
One of the most standout watches of Djokovic’s career was when he wore the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph “The Legacy” 26378IO. Limited to just 1500 pieces, Djokovic was spotted wearing the watch in 2015 when he won the tennis Masters title in Shanghai. When he was awarded his trophy, he was seen donning the 48mm piece which was produced in collaboration with action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger, after first being introduced in 2011.
John McEnroe, customised Rolex
The US tennis legend was one of the most charismatic, passionate and fiery tennis players of all time – but was cool when it came to his watch choices. No stranger to wearing a Rolex, one of the best came out of his work with Artisans de Genéve to create the “John McEnroe Lefty Project”.
Famously left-handed, the three times Wimbledon winner teamed up with the Swiss watchmaker to create a custom Rolex Submariner that wouldn’t get in the way of a left-hand pro player’s way during a match.
Part of the watch’s specification included the crown being repositioned to the left of the face, to make it more usable for a left hand user, as well as a unidirectional steel bezel instead of the usual ceramic offering. The rotor of the watch had a special customisation touch – being engraved with ‘John McEnroe’.
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