A year after signing deal with Roger Federer-backed On, Ben Shelton starts new partnership with Swiss' sponsor Rolex

Nearly a year after signing a deal with Roger Federer-backed Swiss apparel and footwear brand 'On,' Ben Shelton has started a partnership with Rolex — one of Federer's sponsors.

After turning professional in 2022, Shelton was signed by sports and entertainment company TEAM8 — the company co-founded by Federer and his agent, Tony Godsick. Additionally, in March 2023, the American also secured a deal with On, an apparel company backed by the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Recently, Shelton took to social media to announce his new partnership with Swiss watch designer and manufacturer, Rolex. The luxury brand has long been associated with Roger Federer, who has served as its ambassador since 2001. The Swiss also signed an endorsement deal with them in 2006.

Shelton expressed his excitement about joining Rolex and stated that it was his "honor" to partner with a brand that is "synonymous with excellence" in tennis.

"I am excited to become the newest member of the Rolex family. It is an honor to partner with a brand synonymous with excellence in our sport. #Rolex #rolexfamily," Shelton captioned his Instagram post.

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Ben Shelton on the perks of being a professional tennis player: "I’ve got to see a lot of different places, different continents and cultures for the first time"

Ben Shelton at the 2023 Shanghai Rolex Masters

Ben Shelton recently discussed the pros and cons of pursuing a career as a professional tennis player. Prior to turning pro, he played college tennis at the University of Florida.

Shelton stated that the life of a touring professional tennis player is vastly different from being a college tennis player. He pointed out a few of the challenges he faces while touring, including constantly residing in hotels and traveling from one city to another, all while battling the relentless effects of jetlag.

“It’s a much different lifestyle. When I was in college you spent most of your nights at home, in your own bed. Now, I’m living in hotels, going from city to city. Jetlag is one of the biggest things, getting acclimatized to new places,” he said (via Stuff).

The American revealed that when he came to Australia in 2023, it took him several days to habituate himself to the time change. He added, however, that this year he needed much less time to adapt in Australia, attributing it to the experience he gained last year.

“Last year, on my first trip to Australia, it took me eight or nine days to feel alive. I was dead. This year, after three days I felt good. It’s just those things that the more you see, the more you know. I think I got a lot of that out of the way last year,” he added.

Shelton also stated that touring has been "cool," as he had the opportunity to explore different diverse places, continents, and cultures for the very first time.

“It’s been cool. I’ve got to see a lot of different places, different continents and cultures for the first time. A lot of these guys got to experience these different things at young ages, 15 or 16, playing ITF [junior] tournaments. But for it to all happen in one year was crazy for me, it was all flooding in at once,” Ben Shelton said.