Rafael Nadal, who has "played while wearing a watch" since '10, sported a $775,000 watch at the French Open this past week made by Swiss brand Richard Mille, according to Tom Perrotta of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Watch deals are "common among top tennis pros." Most players who wear them on court "have one-handed backhands and wear the watch on their other hand, so it doesn’t interfere with their swings," while the rest "slap them on after matches and during trophy ceremonies." Roger Federer, who is sponsored by Rolex, will "practice with a watch, but doesn't play matches with it." Maria Sharapova "has a deal with Tag Heuer," and Novak Djokovic is "sponsored by Seiko." Serena Williams is "in the rare company of Nadal," as she also "hits a two-handed backhand and wears her Audemars Piguet watch during matches." The current timepiece is the "third watch that Richard Mille has custom-made for Nadal," who has previously "had two watches stolen." The value of his watch "perplexes some players," as it "isn't covered in expensive jewels and weighs a mere 20 grams." In fact, it "has a Velcro strap." But Nadal said that the timepiece can "withstand the punishment of tennis, dirt and water -- and the effects of gravity -- and still keep accurate time." The band also is the color "of the red clay of Roland Garros" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/1).
DRESSED TO SLAM: The NATIONAL POST's Kaitlyn McGrath writes tennis' Grand Slam events "are where players want their game to peak -- so why not look their best, too." The market for tennis attire "is niche, but considerable." It is "dominated primarily by major brands" such as Nike and adidas. But "traditional lifestyle brands" like Uniqlo and H&M "have also jumped into the ring." New Balance also "introduced its tennis clothing line" in '13. New Balance Tennis Apparel Design Dir Bob Smith said that tennis players, unlike most athletes, "don’t wear uniforms and are 'pretty much wearing as close as you can get to street wear.'" Smith said that knowing the court surface for a given event is "important so the outfit doesn’t clash or blend in with the background," like the "red clay of Roland Garros or the blue of the Australian Open’s hard courts." He added that understanding geography is "vital," as "choosing dark colours doesn’t 'make a lot of sense' in scorching-hot Melbourne in January." McGrath noted with players "outfitted by the same suppliers, it’s commonplace for them to mirror one another." But as demonstrated by Thanasi Kokkinakis, players "can plan ahead." Asked during a French Open post-match press conference about wearing the same Nike range-and-purple-striped outfit as opponent Bernard Tomic, Kokkinakis said that the two "made prior arrangements before they met in the second round." Kokkinakis: "We either get the black gear or the orange gear. We get both actually, but [Nike] prefer us to wear the orange or the pink or whatever. So I said to him straightaway, I’m wearing black" (NATIONAL POST, 6/1).
