Swiss Master of Materials, Rado, commemorates their remarkable 40-year legacy in professional tennis with two impressive feats: First, renewing their role as Official Sponsor and Official Timekeeper to the prestigious Mubadala Citi DC Open — tennis’s only ATP & WTA 500 combined tournament, returning to Washington D.C.’s Rock Creek Park Tennis Center (July 19-27, 2025). S Second, Rado unveils the new Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition, fusing vintage diving DNA with contemporary tennis flair.
Rado’s Debut Set: 1985
Upon the 1985 Swiss Open’s sunlit clay courts in Gstaad, Swedish ace Joakim Nyström made history by winning his second consecutive singles title. Rado, as the tournament’s Official Sponsor, stood witness to this moment of triumph.
Rado boasts a heritage of split-second precision, technical innovation, and avant-garde craftsmanship. At the 1985 Gstaad Swiss Open, Rado brought this expertise courtside for the very first time. This marked the beginning of many internationally recognized tournaments supported by the brand. As one of the most significant dates on the tennis calendar, the 1985 Gstaad Swiss Open offered Rado the perfect stage to connect with the sport’s growing global audience — especially in a year that saw an 81% surge in television viewership. Soon after, the Swiss Master of Materials gained an affinity among tennis’s youthful, sporty fanbase for their high-quality and boldly styled timepieces.
Serving Aces on a Global Court
Bridging the worlds of horology and tennis, Rado’s support extended globally — sponsoring tournaments in Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, South Africa, North America, and most notably, the 1993 French Open. With a mutual passion for tactical innovation and technical excellence, Rado was selected by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) as the Official Watch of the 1996 ATP Tour. Just a year later, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) named Rado the official timekeeper for all Davis Cup events.
By the late 1990s, Rado proudly sponsored over 40 international tennis tournaments, becoming the world’s leading watch brand to support the sport. becoming the foremost watch brand involved in the sport. Whether it was the French Open, Australian Open, Ericsson Open, or events across Malaysia, Japan, the UK, or their home turf, Switzerland — Rado’s lasting support maintained an unmissable, international footprint in the world of tennis.
Timekeeping Champions and Moments of Triumph
As Rado’s footprint in tennis grew throughout the 1990s, so did their visibility through the now-iconic ‘Corner Clocks’. By 1996, Rado’s corner clocks had become a fixture courtside — displaying temperature, humidity, serve speeds, and custom messages, in addition to local and match time.
Witnessing the sport’s champions become icons and marking moments of glory, a Rado Corner Clock at the 2004 French Open recorded what was then the longest tennis match ever played. After an epic five-set duel lasting six hours and 35 minutes, France’s Fabrice Santoro triumphed over compatriot Arnaud Clément. To this day, the 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, 16–14 scoreline remains the fifth-longest match in tennis history.
Partners, On and Off Court
The 1990s also saw the creation of the Rado Player Team on the ATP Tour, comprising stars like Spain’s Sergi Bruguera, Germany’s Tommy Haas, and the UK’s Greg Rusedski. Each member of the Rado Player Team ranked among the top ten in men’s singles, with India’s Leander Paes crowned world champion in men’s doubles in 1999.
Rado’s passion for tennis goes beyond the court, supporting not only competitions but also good causes. These initiatives include Smash Corner, Ace Campaign, and the Ash Barty Foundation, which fosters the next generation of Australian tennis talent and contributes to global charitable efforts.
Tennis’s perfect doubles partners complement each other’s play and strengths, consistently adapting as the other evolves. Rado and tennis have embraced this precise synergy since 1985, and the new Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition encapsulates this spirit of enduring partnerships and victory.
Rado Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition
Materializing the intersection between Rado’s vintage diver aesthetics and tennis sensibilities, the new Captain Cook x Tennis Limited Edition is where performance meets contemporary sports-style. Cased in a robust 39-millimetre stainless steel case with 300-meter water resistance, it boasts a matching, polished crown that bears Rado’s emblematic anchor logo. The bezel, graced by a brushed plasma ceramic finish, is engraved with white lacquered indices and a triangle marker at twelve o’clock, all dipped in Super-LumiNova®. The dial features a striking ruthenium-to-white gradient, contrasted by a rhodium-colored Rado anchor against a ruby backdrop.
Tennis-inspired details are cleverly integrated: Four dark yellow Super-LumiNova® dots at 3, 6, 8, and 12 o’clock reference the scoring system (15, 30, 40, game), while the seconds hand has a tennis ball-coloured tip. Rhodium-toned hour and minute hands, plus all markers, are coated in Super-LumiNova® for legibility.
The caseback bears an engraving: “Limited Edition, One Out of 1,985,” nodding to Rado’s first tennis sponsorship in 1985. Next to it, a three-texture motif symbolizes the sport’s trio of surfaces — grass, clay, and hard court. Powering it is the automatic Calibre R763, offering 80 hours of power reserve, a date function, and an antimagnetic Nivachron™ hairspring for lasting precision.
Each piece comes with a polished stainless-steel bracelet featuring rice-grain-style inner links, plus three additional NATO-style straps — blue representing hard court, orange for clay, and green for grass — easily interchangeable via Rado’s EasyClip system. Limited to just 1,985 pieces, nodding to the 1985 Gstaad Swiss Open, Rado’s first tennis sponsorship.
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