Game. Set. Rado: 40 Years of Serving Tennis Aces

by Northern Watch Services Inc. July 23, 2025

Swiss Master of Materials, Rado, celebrates their remarkable 40-year legacy in professional tennis with two impressive feats: First, renewing their role as Official Sponsor and Official Timekeeper to the prestigious Mubadala Citi DC Open — tennis’s only ATP & WTA 500 combined tournament, returning to Washington D.C.'s Rock Creek Park Tennis Center (July 19-27, 2025). Second, fusing vintage diving aesthetics and contemporary tennis flair, Rado presents the Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition.

Rado’s First Set – 1985

Upon the 1985 Swiss Open’s sunlit clay courts in Gstaad, Swedish ace Joakim Nyström made history by winning his second consecutive singles title. Rado, as the tournament’s Official Sponsor, witnessed this moment of glory.

Rado boasts a legacy of split-second precision, technical prowess, and avant-garde craftsmanship. At the 1985 Gstaad Swiss Open, Rado channeled this mastery onto the tennis court for the first time. This marked the first of many internationally recognized tournaments sponsored by Rado. As one of the most significant dates on the tennis calendar, the 1985 Gstaad Swiss Open offered Rado the perfect stage to connect with the sport’s international audience, especially in a year that saw an 81% surge in television viewership. Soon after, the Swiss Master of Materials gained an affinity among tennis’s young, sporty fans for the quality and bold designs of their watches.

Legacy of Serving Aces

Matching the worlds of watchmaking and tennis, Rado’s support crossed borders, sponsoring tournaments across Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, South Africa, North America, and most notably, the 1993 French Open. With a strikingly mutual passion for tactical innovation and technical excellence, Rado was chosen by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) as the Official Watch of the 1996 ATP Tour. Just one year later, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) appointed Rado as official timekeeper for all Davis Cup competitions.

By the late 1990s, Rado proudly sponsored over 40 international tennis tournaments, becoming the world’s leading watch brand to support the sport. Be it the French Open, Australian Open, Ericsson Open, or events held as far afield as Malaysia, Japan, the UK, and their home turf, Switzerland, Rado’s lasting support maintained an unmissable, international footprint in the world of tennis.

Timekeeper of Champions

As Rado’s presence in tennis grew increasingly prominent in the early 1990s as a sponsor and timekeeper, its visibility was reinforced by ‘Corner Clocks’. By 1996, Rado’s corner clocks became a game staple, now indicating temperature, humidity, service speed, and special messages, alongside local time and match time.

Witnessing the sport’s champions become icons and marking moments of glory, a Rado Corner Clock at the 2004 French Open registered what was then the longest tennis match ever played. After a five-set battle spanning six hours and 35 minutes, France’s Fabrice Santoro emerged victorious against his fellow countryman Arnaud Clément. Even today, the *6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 16–14* score remains the fifth-longest tennis match ever played.

Partners in Precision, On and Off Court

The 1990s also saw the creation of the Rado Player Team on the ATP Tour, featuring tennis greats like Spain’s Sergi Bruguera, Germany’s Tommy Haas, the UK’s Greg Rusedski, and many more. Every member of the Rado Player Team ranked in the top ten men’s singles, with India’s Leander Paes becoming world champion in the men’s doubles in 1999.

Rado’s passion for tennis goes beyond the court, supporting not only competitions but also good causes. These initiatives include Smash Corner, Ace Campaign, and the Ash Barty Foundation, which nurtures the next generation of Australia’s tennis stars and supports charities worldwide.

A 40-Year Partnership

Tennis’s perfect doubles partners complement each other’s play and strengths, consistently adapting as the other evolves. Rado and tennis have embraced this precise synergy since 1985, and the new Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition encapsulates this spirit of enduring partnerships and victory.

Rado CEO, Adrian Bosshard, commented on Rado’s 40-year partnership with tennis:
Over the past four decades, tennis has evolved dramatically with innovations in racket design, string technology, ball composition, and player athleticism, transforming the game’s speed, power, and psychological intensity. As the Master of Materials, Rado has mirrored this evolution, embracing performance-driven innovation and precision engineering in its watchmaking. This 40-year partnership celebrates a shared journey of discipline, endurance, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Rado Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition

Materializing the intersection between Rado’s vintage diver aesthetics and tennis sensibilities, the new Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition is where performance meets contemporary sports-style.

Case & Bezel: A robust 39mm stainless steel case with 300-meter water resistance, featuring a polished crown bearing Rado’s emblematic anchor logo. The bezel boasts a brushed plasma ceramic finish, engraved with white lacquered indices and a Super-LumiNova® triangle marker at twelve o’clock.
Dial: A striking ruthenium-to-white gradient, contrasted by a rhodium-colored Rado anchor against a ruby backdrop.
Tennis-Inspired Details:

Four subtle dark yellow Super-LumiNova® dots at 3, 6, 8, and 12 o’clock (referencing tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, game).
A tennis-ball-hued seconds hand tip.
Rhodium-coated indices and hands with Super-LumiNova® for legibility.

Caseback: Engraved with “Limited Edition, One Out of 1,985” (nodding to Rado’s first tennis sponsorship in 1985) and a textured circle representing tennis’s three surfaces (grass, clay, hard).
Movement: Automatic Calibre R763 with an 80-hour power reserve, date function, and antimagnetic Nivachron hairspring.
Straps: Includes a stainless-steel bracelet plus three NATO-style textile straps (blue for hard courts, orange for clay, green for grass) via Rado’s EasyClip system.

Limited to just 1,985 pieces, this timepiece is a tribute to Rado’s enduring love affair with tennis.

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