Why Emma Raducanu’s sponsorship value remains high despite lack of success.

Emma Raducanu is rumoured to be ending her long-standing relationship with clothing brand Nike to sign a lucrative new deal with Uniqlo and if that is confirmed in the coming days, it will confirm her appeal to sponsors remains strong.

Raducanu shot to global fame after she secured one of the greatest sporting achievements of all-time by coming through qualifying and winning the 2021 US Open title.

That saw a rush of major sponsors sign up the teenage Brit, who collected millions in lucrative deals that have remained in place since that famous win at Flushing Meadows.

British Airways, Vodafone, Tiffany and co, Dior, Evian, Wilson and HSBC were among the A-list brands rushing to add Raducanu to their list of ambassadors, but she needed to continue her success on the court to keep those backers on side.

Injuries and an adaptation to the professional tour have meant Raducanu has struggled to live up to the expectations she created in that US Open success, with some of those initial sponsors not renewing their deal with Raducanu as a result.

Despite those setbacks on and off the court, Raducanu remains one of the most talked-about players in tennis and the enduring interest in her story never wanes and that is one reason why she is still attracting big sponsorship deals despite her lack of success on court.

Her mass appeal on Instagram is another big factor for sponsors, with nearly three million followers confirming she is a tennis influencer and she is also an ongoing source of inspiration for young girls, especially in Britain.

Interest in tennis rose significantly among young girls after Raducanu’s US Open win and when Tennis365 asked her about the impact she has had while we attended the Wuhan Open in October, she offered up a thoughtful reply.

It’s funny to think that I have had that impact,” said Raducanu. “It’s really nice to be reminded, you know, that you’re inspiring younger kids to play. And it’s very easy to lose sight of that kind of thing because you get so absorbed in your own world.

But that is a really big achievement for me (inspiring young kids) and it’s why I want to keep a really good example on the court, a good demeanour.

“I know some other players maybe sometimes lash out or lose their temper, and it’s inevitable time to time you don’t feel great, and you maybe step up.

“But I remind myself always to try and keep as best possible face, because you never know who’s watching, and you don’t want to, you know, set bad examples for the younger generation.

“I think in that moment after you lose a match, honestly, you’re not really thinking about others. I think in the moment, you’re just so focused on the chance you had and letting it go.

“Then when the dust settles a little bit and you can look in hindsight at what you achieved, what you put on the court, and I gave my best, I tried everything I could.”

Roger Federer ended his long-time relationship with Nike to sign for Uniqlo at the back end of his career and if Raducanu is following that path, she will be hoping to enjoy the same success as the Swiss maestro on and off the court.