How come Rolex never endorsed the WS?

[nadals]

Just curious what you guys think? I see they’ve recently added Muguruza and Angie, you’d think they’d want one of or both Williamses as the face of the brand for the sport of tennis. What’s up with that?

[Cry]

Do we know that they didn’t try? I have no clue but it would be interesting to look into

[nadals]

I can’t imagine both of them would turn down a Rolex endorsement...

[Cry]

Serena has a watch deal. She is an Audemars Piget ambassador. I just did a brief scan but she’s been with them since at least 2014. Might/probably goes back further than that but I I’ve only been on the case for about 2 minutes.

[Cry]

On Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at 3:46:19 PM UTC-6, nadals wrote:

I can’t imagine both of them would turn down a Rolex endorsement...

I can't either but just thought I would throw it out there 

[Cry]

Damn, Serena and Stan looking classy af in these Ademars pics

https://www.audemarspiguet.com/en/experience/friends/

[Cry]

Audemars Piguet does not even list their prices on their website! Holy sheesh. 

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

The cheapest AP watch I found was $15,999!!!! And the most expensive one I saw was $1,390,400!!!

[Cry]

Sorry, I'm getting off topic. (But everything I'm seeing about this watch deal makes me less concerned about her NOT having a deal with Rolex)

[Miss_Vee]

Oh my Gawd! Both Serena and Stan are just mezmerizing in those ads for Piaget. Stanimal!

[nadals]

Great pics of both!

And $16k is chump change to the likes of Serena and Stan. To them, that is like the equivalent of $100 bucks for us lol.

[nadals]

Considering Venus used to be the Queen of Wimbledon for the longest time, you'd think Rolex (SW19's main sponsor) would have reached out to her...

[Cry]

I did some more research (because I’m acoiding real work). I was interested in when Rolex started endorsing tennis players. I remember seeing lots of zroger commercials and some with Justine Henin and Li Na, among others.

Roger did not get his Rolex deal until 2012, after he won his 6th Wimbledon beating Andy Murray. Before that he had a watch deal with Lacroix watches.

The last time Venus won Wimbledon was 2008. She had lost in the 4th round 2011 and 1st round 2012, the year they signed Roger. So that could factor into a lack of Rolex endorsement. She had the track record obviously, but they didn’t even sign Roger until well after his 5 year stretch.

[nadals]

Good points, Cry.

But even still, what did Henin and Li ever do at Wimbledon besides never win the title? lol In fact, Li never even made a final.

I just find it odd that not even one Williams joined the Rolex crew, tis all.

[Cry]

I know Rolex started with Wimbledon in 1978. I don’t know when they took on the Australian. I would guess Li Na got brought out after the Australian Open won because she was SUCH a big name in Asia/Pacific. But that’s just a guess

[Cry]

lol nadals, it feels like you’re tiptoeing your way around a certain accusation you want to level against Rolex. Or am I reading too much into it?

[Miss_Vee]

Bear in mind posters, that Rolex has huge marketing tentacles around the world. Cry, you are on to something when you made the point that Li Na was huge in China, therefore capturing the Asian market, and she was the first Asian to win a Major. Same for Justine in Belgium. She was the winningest Belgian Tennis Star, and Belgium is a small country, so Justine’s tennis credentials made her a sure fire bet for endorsements....and she is French.
I will say that my mind did go there....straight to the race card. It did! But then, I remembered that Rolex had also picked up Tiger Woods as an ambassador of their products. At least I think so. Have to check it out. But we all know that although Tiger is black, he is Caublasian. So....

[nadals]

Do I think Rolex is racist? Not at the moment, but things like this make me wonder.

[Sekasi_ChangeIsComing]

Look at this way, if Serena and Venus were not black , is there a doubt in your mind that Rolex would have already signed up one of them

[Cry]

You’ve got a point, but Rolex also signed Tsonga

Btw it’s not like I’ve got stock in Rolex or anything. I just find this to be a really interesting topic and I keep finding new info

[Cry]

Also, I’m now finding info that indicates Roger might have been with them before 2012, in the interest of full disclosure. I’ll look into it more later

[nadals]

Sek, you do have a point. As far as Tsonga being signed on, well he is technically mixed afterall.

I’ve no doubt if the WS has lighter skin at least one of them would have been endorsed by now.

[Miss_Vee]

Not sure about that nadals. Look at Venus and Serena's initial history, when they first came on to the tennis scene. They were too controversial. Their attitude did not go down well with the white establishment. Serena's tendency to have some on court outbursts, which was perceived as a negative. Their Dad's controversial statements. The white boys in the boardrooms tend to bypass anything that might tarnish their genteel image at Rolex. I think therein lies your answer.

[Miss_Vee]

I was reading today about the the other big watch makers who have endorsed other American black athletes...like LeBron James. Not Rolex.

[Sekasi_ChangeIsComing]

On Thursday, January 25, 2018 at 12:08:38 PM UTC-6, Miss_Vee wrote:

Not sure about that nadals.  Look at Venus and Serena's initial history, when they first came on to the tennis scene.  They were too controversial.  Their attitude did not go down well with the white establishment.  Serena's tendency to have some on court outbursts,  which was perceived as a negative.  Their Dad's controversial statements.  The white boys in the boardrooms tend to bypass anything that might tarnish their genteel image at Rolex.  I  think therein lies your answer.

Your argument is very light weight. I will give you another scenario, if Serena or Venus had been found with meldo, how many sponsors would stand by them the way they did with Maria? It wouldn't have mattered what S&V's history was, the only crime they have is being too black. 

[Cry]

It’s interesting that there don’t seem to be any Americans in the Rolex stable (at least at the moment), let alone just the Williams sisters.

And they don’t work with the US Open either. The only major American tournament they’re associated with is Indian Wells. Everything else is European and Asian (London, Shanghai, Monte Carlo, Paris ,Singapore, Laver Cup) with the exception of the Australian Open.

But it’s a very European company. Founded in London. Headquarters in Switzerland.

It could be that marketing to Europe and Asia, Tennis players made sense. But marketing in USA, they went with seemingly more popular markets (which I know isn’t a great argument because Venus and Serena are beyond Tennis at this point but still... just a theory)

[fedexpress06]

Preach!!!!!  They would've held special hour long segments and not show matches during tournaments talking about how terrible it is for the sport had Serena been caught with meldo.  With Sharadoper, they celebrated her at the USO like she was the victim of a knife attack like Petra.   

[Miss_Vee]

Fedex, I have been trying to argue against the black race card, but that is my instinct as well. I searched this morning for any black athletes in the Rolex stable. Only Tiger represented the black athletes, and he is only half black....like Tsonga. Of course it's the race thing. LeBron James is a mega star, but does he reach into the European market? Not too sure.
If Genie Bouchard had become a big Tennis Star by winning Wimbledon her first time in a GS final, she would have captured a Rolex endorsement, because of her looks, and her age, and the fact that she is Canadian white. Therefore part of the North American market. I do believe that with all my heart.

[Cry]

I do agree with what people are saying. But I also feel like, “so if a company doesn’t offer the Williams sisters a deal are they automatically racist?”

[Miss_Vee]

Companies would never admit that is a racist practice. What I read of tI'm and again, is the look of that individual as well as personality. Roger eventually was viewed as urbane, a true winner, and someone who had transcended the sport of tennis. His appeal reached across the sporting world. Of course Rolex made the move to grab him. His previous endorsements may have had some clauses that prohibited him from accepting other endorsements. Once they were over, he was free to accept new endorsements. I think I read that somewhere as well a few years back. Maybe that explains the "late" endorsement with Rolex.

[Sekasi_ChangeIsComing]

Cry, I don’t think any company that doesn’t sign up Venus or Serena is racist. We have to look at each company and not generalize.

[nadals]

^^^What sek said.

I just find it ironic how as many slams as the WS have won, all it takes for the likes of Mugu and Angie to recently join is to win a couple. I didn't even know that they have next to zero black athletes from other sports representing them. It does make you go hmmmm.

[Cry]

I agree, sek

[Cry]

The sports Rolex sponsors:

-Tennis

-Golf

-Yachting

-Formula One

-Equestrianism 

Like, this is definitely targeting white people right? But not even just "white people". RICH white people. I'm white but I don't think I fall into their target demographic...

[nadals]

I agree, Cry

Afterall, who the hell cannafford a million dollar watch??

[Miss_Vee]

There are so many of the 1% on North America and Europe...and now China who can afford $1 million dollar watches and beyond. Is it 1% of the world's population that are obscenely wealthy?