Rafael Nadal’s search for a career-high 21st Grand Slam trophy came to an end on Friday as he lost a thrilling semi-final encounter against Novak Djokovic at the French Open. The Serbian went on to lift the title on Sunday after defeating Nadal in 4 hours and 11 minutes on Friday with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2. During the entire tournament, Rafael Nadal was seen flaunting Richard Mille watches on the court.
In his usual Nike duds and Richard Mille watch, Nadal sailed through his first five matches at Roland Garros, dropping only one set. Most professional tennis players wait until the end of their matches to put on their sponsor’s watch, but Nadal is one of the few that does it while playing.
In their couple of years of the endorsement deal, Nadal has worn the RM 27-04, the most recent high-priced Richard Mille watch. It has a current selling price of $1.08 million, which is slightly higher than the $1.05 million it had when it was first released in September. (Financial details courtesy: Sportico)
With its product range, it is attempting to capture 1% of the 1%. According to Morgan Stanley, the average Richard Mille watch normally sells for $204,000 in 2020. Patek Philippe ($39,100), Audemars Piguet ($38,200), and Rolex ($10,900) are the next most expensive brands within the top ten.
Nadal has reportedly won $124.5 million in his career, third-most in the world after Djokovic ($148.1 million) and Federer ($130 million), and more than twice as much as fourth-placed Andy Murray ($61.8 million). The Spaniard missed out on the prize money in French Open, but he remains one of the commercially attractive tennis stars in the world.
Nadal had won the following four Grand Slams in Paris, giving him a total of 20 Grand Slams, tied with Roger Federer for the most all-time. He has won the French Open 14 times and only turning 35 last week. With tweaks to his playing technique and a million-dollar memento on his wrist, Rafael Nadal will be looking to bounce back at Wimbledon later this month.