Luxury watch brands have often found notable ambassadors from within the world of professional tennis. Perhaps the most prominent of such partnerships is the long-standing arrangement between Rolex and Roger Federer. Universally acknowledged as one of the greatest – if not the greatest – players ever to wield a tennis racquet, Federer has been a Rolex ambassador for many years, and numerous other successful alliances have been forged between horological brands and famous tennis stars over the years. One of the most profitable collaborations in recent months has been between Novak Djokovic – the current world number one and Wimbledon champion – and Seiko, but it is TAG Heuer’s stars that have been really making the headlines in the last few weeks.
Kei Nishikori may not be a household name as of yet, but expect that oversight to soon be remedied, as this Japanese tennis sensation has been sweeping all comers before him at many ATP Tour events in 2014. Hailed as an undeniable one-to-watch for many years, Nishikori’s progress has perhaps been slower than some expected, but 2014 has definitely represented his breakthrough year. Having started the season with titles in both Barcelona and Memphis, Nishikori gave Rafael Nadal (then world number one) a huge scare in Madrid, before injury then halted his surge towards the title.
Following a torrid few months battling various ailments, he then returned to the Tour in time for the US Open, only to become the first Asian male to ever reach a Grand Slam Singles Final, impressively beating Novak Djokovic en-route to the final. In the past two weeks, Nishikori has lifted trophies in both Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo, and is now on the brink of qualification for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, so it’s scarcely any wonder that tennis enthusiasts are now viewing this 24-year old as a serious contender for future majors.
However, Nishikori’s most recent Tokyo success was mirrored by another TAG Heuer ambassador as well. Maria Sharapova is a long standing TAG Heuer associate, and is perhaps the epitome of the brand’s famous ‘don’t crack under pressure’ slogan, and the reigning French Open champion added another title to her illustrious career record at this weekend’s China Open. Clearly, TAG Heuer know how to select champions to represent their watches, and one might almost claim that their support has been talismanic to both Nishikori and Sharapova in recent weeks. The Grand Slam year is already over for 2014, but it would be extremely unwise to discount either of these determined individuals for major success in 2015.
Interestingly, both Nishikori and Sharapova favour the TAG Heuer Aquaracer range as the source of their chosen timepieces, and a wide variety of these stunning watches can be found in stock at Banks Lyon Jewellers. Extremely varied, but inevitably setting new trends in terms of style, the Aquaracer collection is one of TAG Heuer’s most popular assemblages, and incorporates both beautifully feminine wristwatches and sleek masculine variants. Because of that, it’s an unusual preference indeed that can’t find a kindred spirit within the Aquaracer family. If you’d like to find out more about any of these TAG Heuer watches, don’t hesitate to contact us now by calling 01524 38 48 58 or emailing [email protected].
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