US Open Challenges and Triumphs with Federer, Edberg, and Gauff
Aug 16, 2024
Becoming champion of one of the four Grand Slam® tournaments requires exceptional dedication, skill and fortitude. The US Open poses its own unique challenge. New York is known as the city that never sleeps and Flushing Meadows – home to the Grand Slam® since 1978 – embodies a similar energy and heightened intensity, which players must navigate if they are to succeed. Its main court, the Arthur Ashe Stadium is the largest tennis arena in the world. With a capacity crowd of 23,771, it creates an electric atmosphere during matches, particularly under the bright lights of the night sessions. Rolex became Official Timekeeper of the US Open in 2018, recognizing the human endeavour and passion for tennis that the tournament has showcased over the decades.
Photo credit: ©Rolex/Thomas Lovelock
Among those to have thrived in its heady environment are several Rolex legends of the game. Chris Evert lifted the women’s singles trophy on six occasions, holding the title for four years from 1975–1978 and Roger Federer remains the only male player in the Open Era to have triumphed five consecutive times between 2004 and 2008. Swedish legend Stefan Edberg also secured rare back-to-back US Open titles overcoming challenging conditions in 1992, including winning an epic five-hour, 26-minute semi- final – still the longest match in US Open history. The six-time Grand Slam® champion and a Rolex Testimonee, Edberg says: “Winning the US Open was truly special on both occasions. The 1992 tournament was the most demanding fortnight of my life. Flushing Meadows is one of the best places in the world to watch tennis at night – it can be incredibly loud and noisy; there is a buzzing atmosphere, so it really tests your focus as a player.” Highlighting its arduous nature, Federer adds: “I felt like if you could win in New York, you could win anywhere because of its unique conditions – the humidity, the wind, the hustle and bustle, and the intensity that it created.”
Photo credit: ©Rolex/Jon Buckle
First held in 1881, the US Open is the final Grand Slam® tournament of the season, and the only one to have been played every year since its inception. In 2023, Coco Gauff rose to the challenge and joined fellow Rolex family members Pat Rafter, Dominic Thiem, Sloane Stephens and Carlos Alcaraz in becoming a first-time Grand Slam® champion at the US Open. Gauff will return to Flushing Meadows this summer aiming to defend her title and join the esteemed players to have achieved successive victories. She says: “Winning the US Open was a crazy feeling – one that I had never felt before and I don’t think I will ever feel again. I had dreamt of winning a Grand Slam and the moment was even better than I could have ever imagined. I have been with Rolex since I was 15, and for them to have believed in me from such a young age was incredible. To still be with them five years later is even more amazing – it really feels like I’m part of a family.”
Photo credit: ©Rolex/Jed Jacobsohn
Rolex’s support of the tennis world has been constant since 1978, when the Swiss watchmaker first partnered The Championships, Wimbledon. From generation to generation, the crown has been present at the most prestigious tournaments and by the side of leading players, as they strive for excellence and to inspire future tennis champions.
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Source: Rolex. Top Photo: ©Rolex/Jon Buckle