After days of speculation, it has been confirmed that Emma Raducanu has signed a clothing deal with Japanese sportswear manufacturer Uniqlo.
The former US Open champion has been suspected of making such a move following the end of her partnership with Nike last year, which has been one of her sponsors since the age of 15. There has been no public information about the exact details behind the change in sponsorships, but the new partnership with Uniqlo has plenty of positives for both.
The I newspaper reports that around 20% of Uniqlo sales are from China, where Raducanu has a solid fanbase due to her mother being from the country. She can also speak Mandarin fluently. As for the value of the deal, the business newspaper City AM claims it is worth in the region of £2.6M. To put this into perspective, her previous deal with Nikle was estimated to be £100,000-per-year. However, these figures have not been verified by Ubitennis.
“Introducing Emma Raducanu, our newest Global Brand Ambassador and Britain’s top-ranked female tennis player,” Uniqlo said in an announcement posted on their Instagram account.
“Emma will champion UNIQLO’s LifeWear philosophy, which is committed to pursuing excellence, making meaningful contributions to society, and empowering the next generation.”
Radiucanu is the first female tennis player to be signed by the company, who has previously worked with Roger Federer, Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic. According to their website, they have seven global ambassadors, but Raducanu is currently the only woman.
“I am very pleased to join UNIQLO and to work closely with its amazing team of Global Brand Ambassadors. UNIQLO and I share many values and perspectives on life, culture, and society,” Raducanu said in a statement.
“I am excited to promote LifeWear through my tennis career, and to working with everybody at UNIQLO to inspire and engage young people everywhere.”
Next month’s BNP Paribas Open is understood to be the first event that Raducanu will play wearing Uniqlo clothing. Telegraph Sport reports that she will play a role in ‘designing her on-court apparel and will participate in community-engagement activities.’
Raducanu has played five tournaments so far this season, reaching the final of the Winner’s Open in Romania and the quarter-finals of the Hobart International in Australia.
