The Best Rolex Watches at the US Open

3 min readThe US Open has never been short on star power. Every year, New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium attracts the biggest names in tennis, along with the celebrities, athletes, and style obsessives who come to watch them. And, naturally, where there are big names, there are big watches.For Rolex, the US Open is an especially fitting showcase. The brand has been intertwined with tennis for almost half a century, supporting the sport's biggest tournaments and its most accomplished players. This year, that means plenty to look at on the wrists of the game's biggest names.Leading the charge is Carlos Alcaraz, who arrived in New York as defending champion wearing one seriously impressive Daytona. The Spaniard, who was knocked out of the competition in yesterday’s quarter-finals, was spotted sporting Rolex's yellow-gold Cosmograph Daytona “Le Mans,” one of the most sought-after versions of the racing chronograph.The 40mm watch is crafted from 18-karat yellow gold and features a black Cerachrom bezel with a red “100” marking its connection to the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Inside is Rolex's Calibre 4132, a special take on the Daytona movement with a 24-hour chronograph counter. It is, in other words, a watch with plenty going on beneath the surface.Courtesy of RolexThere have been Rolexes in the crowd, too—including Anthony Mackie's Land-Dweller, Jimmy Fallon’s Daytona “Paul Newman,” and Roger Federer's colourful Oyster Perpetual “Jubilee” Dial. The retired icon has long been an ambassador for the brand, and his collection has to be up there with one of the best in the world.Alcaraz has long been part of the Rolex family, joining as a Testimonee in 2022. His relationship with the US Open is equally strong: he won his first title there in 2022 before claiming his second in 2025.Michael Mooney//Getty ImagesMackie at the US Open.“Arthur Ashe Stadium always has an incredible energy, but last year it felt even more special,” Alcaraz says. “The crowd gives you this unique mix of passion, noise and excitement—it’s a stadium that pushes you.”While Alcaraz represents one of the established stars in the roster, João Fonseca is one of the names tipped to define its future. The Brazilian linked up with Rolex in 2024, having already made his mark as a former world No. 1 junior and 2023 US Open boys' singles champion. Unfortunately he had to withdraw from this year's tournament—robbing us of the opportunity to see his Daytona "Panda" or Yacht-Master 42.For Fonseca, Rolex's interest in him is also significant because it came before he had established himself among the very top of the sport.“Knowing that a brand that supports excellence and that has such a tradition with tennis believes in me and wants to be there for my journey gives me a lot of confidence,” he says. “Now my ranking has gone up, but Rolex showed belief in my potential.”Shaun Brooks - CameraSport//Getty ImagesFonseca at Wimbledon in July.That sense of being part of something larger is clearly important to him.“Even though I have a very long way to go and I am only a small part of the tennis family, just being a part of it means a lot to me,” he says. “Some of the greatest legends of our sport are Rolex Testimonees and this makes me feel connected to something bigger.”It is perhaps the neatest way to understand Rolex's presence around the US Open. Alcaraz represents a player already making his mark on Grand Slam history, with a very serious Daytona to match. Fonseca represents what comes next: a new generation of players whose careers are still being written.On that note, it was the 23-year-old American Ben Shelton who managed to upset the odds and beat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. He, too, is a Rolex man—and he's previously been spotted in a black-and-green GMT-Master II "Sprite." Something tells us he'll be treating himself to a new model if he finds his way to the final.At the US Open, then, there is plenty to watch. But if you're looking beyond the scoreboard, the wrists are a very good place to start.