In a significant commercial move, British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu has officially ended her long-standing partnership with sportswear giant Nike to sign a major new sponsorship agreement with Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo. The deal marks a pivotal shift for the 23-year-old athlete, whose eight-year association with Nike has now concluded.
A New Chapter with Uniqlo
Uniqlo teased the announcement on Monday by sharing a cryptic image on social media featuring a female tennis player holding a racket, accompanied by the caption ‘We’re proud to welcome a new face.’ This was swiftly confirmed as Raducanu, who becomes the first female tennis player to join Uniqlo's roster of global ambassadors. The brand has previously sponsored male tennis legends including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Japan's Kei Nishikori.
Design Involvement and Global Role
As part of this substantial agreement, Daily Mail Sport understands that Raducanu will take an active role in designing her own competition kits—a collaborative aspect viewed as highly significant for both parties. Furthermore, she is expected to participate in worldwide engagement activities, which is standard practice for Uniqlo ambassadors. The deal takes immediate effect, with Raducanu set to debut her Uniqlo attire at the upcoming Indian Wells tournament next week.
End of an Era with Nike
Raducanu originally signed with Nike at just 15 years old, three years before her remarkable triumph as a qualifier at the 2021 US Open—where she became the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title. Despite her inconsistent on-court performances in recent years, marred by injuries and frequent coaching changes, her commercial appeal has remained robust. Her split from Nike coincides with the American sportswear company implementing financial cutbacks in tennis, opting instead to focus resources on marquee names like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka.
Commercial Portfolio and Recent Form
Following her historic US Open victory, Raducanu secured numerous lucrative endorsements with premium brands such as Dior, Evian, HSBC, Porsche, and Vodafone. Notably, her partnership with Vodafone, valued at approximately £3 million annually, was terminated last year. While her prize money earnings for 2025 totaled just over £1 million, company filings revealed her income from commercial interests was around four times that figure, underscoring her marketability.
On the court, Raducanu recently reached the final of the Transylvania Open last month but fell heavily to Sorana Cirstea while battling illness. She then retired in her opening match at the Qatar Open and suffered a first-round exit at the Dubai Tennis Championships last week. Currently, she heads into Indian Wells without a permanent coach, having parted ways with Francisco Roig after the Australian Open. Roig, who previously worked with Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berrettini, was her ninth career coach. Since then, she has been training with hitting partner Alexis Canter, a British former professional.
Uniqlo's Ambassador Legacy
Uniqlo's sponsorship history in tennis is illustrious, highlighted by Roger Federer's landmark 10-year deal worth £226 million in 2018 after he left Nike. Beyond tennis, their global ambassador network includes golfer Adam Scott, Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano, and wheelchair tennis champions Gordon Reid and Shingo Kunieda. Raducanu's addition not only diversifies this portfolio but also signals Uniqlo's expanded commitment to women's tennis, leveraging her international profile and design input for future collections.
