Joining tennis icons Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, beautiful French Open Champion Ana Ivanovic signs a worldwide endorsement contract with Rolex, the leading Swiss watchmaker. As the only female tennis player chosen by the Geneva-based watchmaker, Rolex will employ Ana in their advertising and as an ambassador of their philanthropic and sporting ventures. Ranked No. 1 in the world by the WTA for nine consecutive weeks in 2008, Ana Ivanovic displayed her mettle as a top tennis player in 2008. Beyond tennis, Rolex respected Ana Ivanovic’s appointment by the United Nations as the Unicef National Ambassador for Serbia in September of 2007. Ivanovic visited a primary school in Serbia during her inauguration and said: “I’m also looking forward to going into the classroom and meeting many kids.”
In the French Open shot, Ana Ivanovic is wearing a men’s Rolex Daytona, which is somewhat surprising. At this time, her endorsement deal barely was off the ground, and Rolex had not chosen her signature brand. What is remarkable is how well she wears the Paul Newman Rolex, and how the watch becomes both powerful and captivating. Later, Rolex decided Ana Ivanovic needed a watch to match her style and chose the gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust as her signature model. In interviews, Ivanovic expressed her delighted surprise that such a reputable brand as Rolex would pick her for their team: “I’m very happy to be partnering with Rolex,” said Ana. “It’s one of the most prestigious companies in the world and it feels good that they have shown confidence in me by offering me this contract. I will enjoy wearing Rolex watches on and off the court.”
The official watch sponsor of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Rolex was thrilled by Ana Ivanovic’s tremendous comeback in 2008’s Australian Open semifinal. Against Daniela Hantuchova, Ivanovic trailed 6-0, 2-0 in a match that quite simply appeared to be over. Appearances can be deceiving, and Ivanovic stormed back to win the match, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Even though she lost in the finals, her semifinal comeback was a career defining moment. Such a moment created the momentum that led to her exciting victory in the French Open final and her first grand slam title. Afterwards, she vaulted to the No. 1 ranking and remained at the top for nine consecutive weeks.
Here is an image from Ana’s visit to the Rolex display suite at the China Open in Beijing. During the visit, Ana met the regional director of Rolex in China and signed autographs for a throng of Chinese supporters. It is no wonder that Rolex would pick such a stylish and popular champion to join its team of champions. The leading name in luxury watches, Rolex has been the pre-eminent symbol of performance and prestige for over a century, and Rolex men’s and ladies’ watches combine elegance with precision.
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