Cover Rolex testimonee Mirra Andreeva lifts the Suzanne‑Lenglen Trophy after winning the women’s singles title at Roland‑Garros 2026 (Photo: courtesy of Rolex/Antoine Couvercelle)
Rolex testimonee Mirra Andreeva lifts the Suzanne‑Lenglen Trophy after winning the women’s singles title at Roland‑Garros 2026 (Photo: courtesy of Rolex/Antoine Couvercelle)
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How Rolex’s decades-long partnership with Roland-Garros found its newest chapter in a teenage champion and a tournament that continues to rewrite history
Rolex’s relationship with tennis dates back nearly half a century, beginning with its partnership with The Wimbledon Championships in 1978. Roland-Garros followed, with the Swiss watchmaker becoming the tournament’s official timekeeper in 2019. On June 6, 19-year-old Rolex testimonee Mirra Andreeva claimed French Open victory in 1 hour and 22 minutes to become the 2026 Roland-Garros women’s singles champion—her maiden Grand Slam title and one of the most commanding performances the red clay has seen from a player her age.
The victory placed her among a small group of teenagers to have lifted their first Grand Slam trophy on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland-Garros, joining fellow Rolex testimonees Björn Borg, Chris Evert and Iga Świątek. It was also in Paris, in 2023 and aged only 16, that Andreeva made her Grand Slam debut, reaching the third round; she has since built a WTA Top 10 ranking and won five titles. Of her win, in a press release from Rolex, she said: “I have been watching Roland-Garros since I was very young and it’s been a big dream of mine to win this tournament. I can’t believe I’m holding this trophy—Paris will always have a very special place in my heart.”
Above Andreeva at play (Photo: courtesy of Rolex/Jon Buckle)
Andreeva at play (Photo: courtesy of Rolex/Jon Buckle)
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The 2026 tournament was one for the books. Challenging conditions in the opening fortnight—searing heat, long matches, a clay that showed no mercy—thinned the draw of its top seeds and handed the next generation its moment. In the men’s draw, Brazilian Rolex testimonee João Fonseca seized the moment, twice fighting back from two sets down, including a statement win over Novak Djokovic, to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
One of the 15,000 spectators watching Andreeva’s title-winning performance was Garbiñe Muguruza— a decade on from her own Roland-Garros triumph in 2016, when the Venezuelan-born Spaniard defeated then World No 1 Serena Williams in straight sets to claim her first Grand Slam title and enter the Rolex family. In the same Rolex press release, Muguruza said of Andreeva: “She has always been one to watch. When she joined the Rolex family and teamed up with my former coach, Conchita Martínez, I had even more interest in her career. She is a good girl, works really hard, and I believe she has an important part to play in the future of our sport.”
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Above Andreeva claims her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland‑Garros 2026 (Photo: courtesy of Rolex/Antoine Couvercelle)
Andreeva claims her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland‑Garros 2026 (Photo: courtesy of Rolex/Antoine Couvercelle)
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Muguruza, who retired from professional tennis in 2024 and was recently appointed co-director of the Mutua Madrid Open alongside her role as tournament director of the WTA Finals, was also courtside for fellow Rolex testimonee Coco Gauff ’s 2025 Roland- Garros triumph. “It was so competitive, so physical, so mental; it was windy, it was so difficult to play with all these conditions,” Muguruz said, “and the nerves of the occasion, with a Grand Slam title on the line.” Gauff herself, who arrived in Paris in 2026 as defending champion, had reached the Suzanne-Lenglen Trophy via a three-year arc: runner-up to fellow Rolex testimonee Iga Świątek in 2022, then champion in 2025. She said of the final last year, “As soon as I walked out on court that day, I felt the clay hit my face with the wind and I knew it was going to be a battle. Winning the title was a really special moment for me—Roland-Garros is a tournament I will always cherish.”
From Rod Laver and Evert to Carlos Alcaraz and Andreeva, the Rolex testimonee family has grown to reflect the sport at its highest level—bound together by a shared understanding that on red clay, excellence demands everything.
As the Regional Editor for Watches and Jewellery and Editorial Content Lead for Tatler GMT, Amrita Katara specialises in luxury watch and jewellery coverage across Asia, with expertise in editorial strategy, feature writing and interviews with industry leaders. Her past roles span luxury lifestyle media and client partnerships. Based in Mumbai, Amrita’s work bridges global trends and Asian market insights.
