Emma Raducanu: the coaching turnover, business strength, and a Uniqlo original.
Emma Raducanu still monopolises a discussion on women in tennis, despite not contributing to her trophy collection since that memorable 2021 US open victory. At 23, the British number one is as ever one of the most valuable assets of the sport – and her newest endorsement activity only serves to emphasise her drawing strength.
Raducanu ended its partnership with Nike and has become a global ambassador of Japanese clothing company Uniqlo. Along the way, she is the first woman to be appointed in that position, part of an exclusive club comprising of tennis legends Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori. The ambassador list of the brand also cuts across the other sports as its brand ambassadors include snowboarder Ayumu Hirano and golfer Adam Scott.
Raducanu has not had an easy time on the competitive front. She terminated her partnership with Spanish coach Francis Roig at the end of January, and it has been a trend that has been characterised by eight coaching changes in five years. Nevertheless, there have been a few signs of improvement, the most notable being a recent outing in the final in Cluj-Napoca, her first major competition since she won the trophy in New York.
Outcomes do not make Raducanu influential. It has also played to her advantage since she is Chinese on her mother side, and is fluent in Mandarin and has earned her a special appeal in Asian markets which has made her very attractive as far as the world is concerned.
That global attraction is reflected in a dream of sponsors. She is a face of Evian, who has appeared with Carlos Alcaraz in advertisements, as well as a brand name of British Airways, Vodafone, Tiffany Co. and Christian Dior, Wilson and HSBC.
The title of the second career is still out of reach, but Raducanu is as strong off the court as ever. Still, as far as visibility is concerned, she remains squarely in the ranks of the best in contemporary sport in terms of market value and global presence.
