After ending her long-time deal with Nike, Emma Raducanu signed a multi-million-pound contract with Uniqlo, following in the footsteps of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. She became Uniqlo’s first major female tennis ambassador. As part of her contract, Raducanu will help design her on-court apparel, including custom match kits and signature pieces under Uniqlo’s LifeWear philosophy.
On Saturday, Uniqlo shared a video featuring Raducanu, who can be seen promoting the brand’s UV Protection Hoodie, highlighting its benefits and comfort.
“I love that Uniqlo’s UV protection hoodie protects me from UV rays just by wearing it,” Raducanu said. “It covers my hands and even my face really well. It’s very lightweight, so I usually carry it with me all the time.”
The promotional video comes at a troubling time for Raducanu on the court, with the Brit having missed tournaments due to injuries and endured a number of coaching changes. All this makes fans believe that Uniqlo should walk out of this partnership while they can.
“Lol, embarrassing. Why are you wasting your money @UNIQLO_JP,” one fan wrote.
“Been a bit of a disastrous start for Uniqlo multi million deal with Emma Raducanu which started in February as she has had more withdrawals than wins so far. Wish them both well,” another added.
“Drops out of tournaments due to a “viral infection” but still has enough energy to do ads,” one fan reacted.
“I did see this coming. Social media, billboards, in-store, TV. The tennis wear, then the shirt, then the hoodie. Then the rest of the range. $3.5 million a year does not come without strings. Why Raducanu? Because unlike the top players she will always be available for ad shoots,” one fan added.
“she has been god awful for years but still getting those sponsorships,” one fan wrote.
“Good to see her raring to go, “the one round wonder” (Cough, cough),” one fan joked.
Emma Raducanu To Miss Another WTA Tournament
Emma Raducanu battled illness in February after catching a viral infection at the start of the Transylvania Open in Cluj. She reached the final but went down easily against Sorana Cirstea.
Despite the illness, Raducanu battled to play two Middle East tournaments. After retiring in the third set of her first-round match in Doha, she lost her opening match in Dubai. She later revealed that she was suffering from a cough and chest discomfort.
After winning her opening match in Indian Wells, Amanda Anisimova defeated her 6-1, 6-1 on March 8. This was the last time she appeared on a tennis court as she withdrew from the Miami Open and then the Linz Open.
She has entered the Madrid Open, but it remains to be seen whether she withdraws from that tournament as well.
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