Emma Raducanu warned endorsement deals could dry up if she doesn’t go deep into tournaments
Emma Raducanu “is going to struggle to renegotiate or renew” her commercial deals and sponsorships if she doesn’t start winning matches regularly, according to a sports finance expert.
Raducanu became an overnight sensation in 2021 when she won the US Open as a qualifier and the endorsement deals soon started to roll in as she signed lucrative deals with high-profile brands like Vodafone, British Airways, Evian, Porsche Tiffany & Co. and Dior on the back of her Grand Slam success at Flushing Meadows.
But that US Open title remains the 22-year-old’s only top-level title as a professional as she is yet to reach another final following that fairytale run three years ago.
Raducanu – who peaked at No 10 in the WTA Rankings after her New York success – has struggled with injury and form over the past two years and currently finds herself just inside the top 60, although she has enjoyed a reasonably successful comeback campaign as she started the year outside the top 300.
Despite her on-court struggles, Raducanu remains one of the best-paid women’s tennis players due to her off-court deals as she was seventh on the 2024 earnings list, according to Sportico, with $14m coming from endorsements.
However, Dr. Rob Wilson – a professor of Applied Sports Finance at Sheffield Hallam University – says Raducanu needs to turn her fortunes around if she wants to keep those sponsors.
