The US Tennis Open solidified itself as a sports and cultural phenomenon, with athletes and celebrities arriving wearing their best dress and most impressive watches. Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Richard Mille remained king—with off-catalog, vintage, and special edition watches spotted on the court and in the stands.
There were so many watches spotted this year, that we couldn’t possibly list them all. But here are our highlights:
(Men’s Winner) Carlos Alcaraz - Rolex Daytona “Tiffany”
Alcaraz once again took first place wearing his favorite Rolex Daytona Cosmograph “Tiffany” (ref. 126518LN). This holy grail collector piece features an oysterflex bracelet, 18k yellow gold case, and the highly coveted Tiffany blue dial. This piece is one we will certainly continue to see on his wrist, with a market value $125,000.
(Women’s Winner) Aryna Sabalenka - Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks
Sabalenka never fails to impress when it comes to her tennis game or wristwatches. On media day one, she arrived wearing a dazzling Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (Ref 26242OR.ZZ.1322OR.02). This 41mm beauty is crafted in 18k pink gold and encrusted in over 1,000 factory brilliant-cut diamonds. A piece like this is nowhere near a subtle flex, and has a market value around $250,000.
Sabalenka later appeared at another press brief wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (ref. 15550BA.OO.1356BA.01). While this piece is not iced out, like the watch we saw her wearing earlier in the tournament, what makes this Royal Oak special is its dial. 18k yellow gold surrounds this stunning natural turquoise dial, which features yellow gold hour marks and hands, featuring a luminescent coating. Natural turquoise is extremely rare, playing a hand in this piece’s high market value. While this watch retails for $69,900, it resells on the market for around $140,000, doubling its value.
Shaggy - Rolex Daytona “Rainbow”
Shaggy made an appearance courtside sporting a highly coveted Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” (ref. 116598RBOW). This might have been the most impressive piece of the tournament, with an eye-catching bezel featuring 36 baguette-cut rainbow sapphire crystals and diamond-encrusted lugs. The bling does not stop there, with diamond hour markers and gold-flecked subdials. This off-catalog piece is encased in 18k yellow gold with an oyster bracelet and has a market value around $400,000!
Georgios Frengulis - Richard Mille 35-02
Aryna’s boyfriend arrived courtside to show support wearing a Richard Mille 35-02 Rafael Nadal Skeleton Dial. This impressive piece is a collector’s holy grail, part of the tennis legend Rafael Nadal’s own collaboration with the brand. This piece is the first of the Nadal collection to feature a self-winding mechanism. The case on this piece is red with a diamond-encrusted bezel, styled on a black and white rubber strap and has a market value upwards of $300,000.
CC Sabathia - Rolex Daytona “Giraffe”
Retired professional baseball player CC Sahathia arrived courtside wearing a Rolex Daytona “Giraffe” (ref.126555TBR). This extremely rare piece—and second off-catalog piece of the open—has a unique design, with baguette-cut diamonds in the bezel and round-cut diamonds on the lugs. The dial also features diamonds around the chronograph, in a pattern reminiscent of a giraffe. The 18k rose gold case sits on a brown oysterflex bracelet, and has a market value starting at $295,000, but can well exceed $300,000.
Ciara - Rolex Day-Date 40
Ciara arrived court side with her family wearing a Rolex Day-Date 40 (ref. 228235). This stunning model features a president bracelet and case crafted with 18k Everose gold. It has the most dazzling diamond-paved dial, with 10 baguette-cut diamond hour markers and round-cut diamonds sprinkled across the dial. It is a stunner, with a market value around $80,000.
Jordyn Woods - Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini
Jordyn Woods arrived court side wearing Audemars Piguet’s latest Royal Oak Mini (ref. 67630BA.GG.1312BA.01-B). This dainty 23mm piece is already a hit among women in the spotlight, just last month we spotted Ice Spice wearing this same piece. Woods sported the 18k frosted yellow gold version on her right wrist—although it would appear she was wearing both the rose and white gold version of the Royal Oak mini stacked on her left wrist as bracelets. This new AP model retails for $38,000 but is already reselling for over double on the secondary market, around $77,000.
Jannik Sinner - Rolex Daytona and GMT Master II
Sinner arrived media day wearing a Rolex that we’ve seen on his wrist before. His Rolex Daytona Everose (ref. 126515LN) features a sundust dial with black subdials and an oysterflex band. What really sets this model apart from other Daytonas is Rolex’s very own patented 18k Everose gold that makes up the case. This piece has a market value around $48,000.
Sinner was later featured in an interview with Rolex, preparing for the US Open, this time wearing a GMT Master II “Rootbeer” (ref 126711CHNR). This classic sports model is crafted with 18k rose gold and stainless steel on an oyster bracelet. It gets its nickname, “Root Beer,” from the split black and brown color on the turning bezel, reminiscent of the iconic soda. It has a market value around $20,000.
Elina Svitolina - Hublot Spirit of Big Bang
Svitolina went up against Anna Bondar wearing an impressive Spirit of Big Bang Hublot. This Steel Pavé is encrusted with 44 diamonds in just the bezel, and another 96 decorating the case. These gemstones truly stand out against black rubber strap and black dial of this piece, making the sparkle especially hard to miss. While steel is generally a heavier choice of material for an athlete to wear, it's clear that this is a fashion statement for the seasoned tennis player. Getting your hands on this piece will set you back $24,000 retail!
Spike Lee - OMEGA X Swatch and Rolex
Lee arrived to show his support wearing an OMEGA x Swatch “Mission on Earth.” This appears to be a favorite of his, as he was also spotted wearing it during the premieres of his film Highest to Lowest just a month ago. This watch is a part of OMEGA and Swatch’s long-term collaboration, and is a black and red chronograph crafted from bioceramic, featuring a velcro strap. It retails for $270.
Lee was later spotted again wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual (ref 124300) Coral Red. This 41 mm watch is a perfect pop of color for the director. Its case and oyster bracelet is made with stainless steel, and a smooth bezel truly highlights the color of the dial. It has a market value of $17,000.
The celebrities and athletes that attended the US Open this year once again dazzled with their wrist-watch game. It appears tennis games have become the new red carpet for players and attendees, showing off bold fashion choices and even bolder timepieces. This year’s US Open simply solidified that tennis and timekeeping go hand-in-hand, with Rolex remaining the favorite.
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