Rolex Signs On As Official Timekeeper of TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships

Written by: Staff on 17th June 2011

Rolex Signs On As Official Timekeeper of TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships |

The WTA announced today that Rolex, a leader in the luxury goods market and a longstanding supporter of tennis, will be the Official Timekeeper of the prestigious year-end TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships for six years starting with 2011. WTA’s year-end Championships will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Under the terms of the six-year agreement, Rolex will receive global exposure across all WTA marketing platforms, including broadcast, digital and on-court branding. Additionally, Rolex will sponsor the Hawkeye Electronic Line Calling at the year-end Championships.

“Rolex is a world class global partner of professional tennis, and will make a terrific addition to our year-end finale in Istanbul,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA. “Rolex’s brand values include prestige, accuracy and the pursuit of excellence and I can’t think of a better brand for the WTA to align with based on our shared values. Having one of the world’s most prestigious brands as the Official Timekeeper shows the business alignment of women’s tennis as a global marketing platform.”

Rolex has been investing in tennis since 1978 when the brand became the Official Watch of Wimbledon. Since then, Rolex has sponsored such world-class events as the Australian Open, the Rogers Cup, ATP’s Masters Series events in Dubai, Monte Carlo and Shanghai, and global tennis stars Caroline Wozniacki, Li Na, Ana Ivanovic and Roger Federer. Rolex was the Official Timekeeper of the year-end WTA Championships in Doha, Qatar, from 2008-2010.

The WTA’s season-ending finale – the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships – will be hosted at the state of the art Sinan Erdem Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, for three years and will feature the world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams who will compete for the coveted title and a share of the $5 million in prize money. One of the world’s most exciting and unique cities, Istanbul bridges two continents and will spur continued growth of women’s tennis in the region. The fifth largest metropolis in the world, Istanbul joins a list of select world class cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Munich, Madrid and Doha that have had the opportunity to host the WTA’s season finale.

The new partnership marks the sixth major deal signed by the WTA since the beginning of 2010. In addition to renewing Sony Ericsson as the WTA’s lead global sponsor, WTA signed leading European cosmetics brand Oriflame, Chinese apparel giant Peak, and Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas airlines, to new deals. WTA also brought on BNP Paribas and TEB as joint title sponsors of the year-end WTA Championships for 2011-2013 and renewed and significantly upgraded its partnership with USANA, a leading global vitamin and health supplement manufacturer.