GAME, SET AND MATCH

Rado’s history as a tennis sponsor began in Gstaad, Switzerland, in 1985, with the Swiss Open championship. It wasn’t the first involvement that the brand had had with sport in general, or even with tennis, but it was the first major, internationally recognised tournament that cemented Rado’s association with the tennis community. After that, the brand’s support snowballed with tournament sponsorships in Germany, Italy and the United States. By 1989, Rado sponsored seven major tournaments; by 1990 this had more than doubled to 15 ; by 1991, it had risen again to cover 33 global events. Rado became the number one watch sponsor in international tennis, with the visibility of the brand reinforced by the prominence of its court corner clocks. Awareness spread of what Rado stood for and who its watches were created for – sporty people, with a young mindset and an affinity for design and quality. Rado’s sponsorship grew to encompass events as far afield as Toronto, Tokyo, Johannesburg and Melbourne, but the next major milestone occurred closer to home, in France, with the brand’s support of the French Open in 1993.