(Photo credit: Rolex)
With the Australian Open less than two weeks away, attention is focused on defending champion and Rolex Testimonee Jannik Sinner. Inside Rolex, however, another name is being followed closely. The brand’s global director of communication and image, a former tennis pro himself, has taken a particular interest in Henry Bernet.
Last year, on his 18th birthday, Bernet became the first Swiss player to win the Australian Open junior singles title. The result immediately placed him among Switzerland’s most promising young prospects and caught the attention of Rolex, still closely associated with Roger Federer even in retirement.
The parallels are hard to miss. Like Federer, Bernet comes from the same tennis club in Basel, played football to a high level, uses a one-handed backhand, worked with Swiss tennis coach Severin Lüthi, and has now won a junior Grand Slam title. Against that backdrop, it was little surprise that Rolex decided to sign Bernet, the only male tennis player added to its roster in 2025.
It remains far too early to predict Bernet’s future. But the pursuit of the next Federer is straight out of Rolex's playbook: think long, move early and wait.