Emma Raducanu is one of the highest-paid female athletes in the world, and that's mostly thanks to her sponsorship deals, but they came at a price.
Immediately after winning the 2021 US Open as a teenager, the British player became a sensation. Everyone wanted a piece of her, and Raducanu ended up doing tons of interviews and sponsorship deals.
Thanks to her sponsorships, she was one of the highest-paid female athletes in 2024. Raducanu placed seventh on the list, sixth among tennis players, having earned an estimated $14.7 million in 2024.
The vast majority of that came through sponsorship deals, something she was criticized for in the past. Some pundits and former players felt like Raducanu was not giving 100% to her tennis career because of all of the obligations tied to those sponsorship deals.
Initially, she strongly dismissed that narrative, but it seems like she now admitted that it might have impacted her. In a recent interview with PA, the British player spoke about her sponsorships, admitting they can be taxing.
"I’m obviously very grateful and fortunate to have had certain experiences and opportunities but I wasn’t prepared for the other things that inevitably do take some energy out of you."
"Especially straight after I did really well, for the next few years it was very much like there was so much communication about things off the court."
Raducanu still insisted that she gave every single practice session 100%, but regardless, having to physically attend some of the events took energy out of her.
It was something she could not have impacted, and especially after her struggles with form and injuries, those sponsorships were maybe also necessary for Raducanu to keep her career going.
"And I would always, always give my 100 per cent on the court. I was always working really hard, but I just think that I wasn’t prepared as well for the other things that inevitably do take some energy out of you."
Now, however, the 22-year-old player feels like her career is much more structured. She can now have a much better distinction between when it's time to practice and when she must fulfill her obligations with sponsors.
"I think now I’m a lot more structured. I’ll be like: 'OK, I have this time where one hour we will talk about business. And now I’m going to go train for the rest of the week'."
On top of that, Raducanu feels like she learned how to say "no" to some of the offers, as that might be necessary for someone as popular as the young Brit.
"Also I think I’ve learned how to say no a bit more. Initially, I felt really bad for letting people down. I’d always want to do extra for whatever partner or magazine or whatever I’m shooting for."
"I would put my practices early and then do that in the afternoon. I’m always going to try and do my best to give extra to the brands I’m working with. Especially since I had a year off pretty much with injuries. But also just putting myself first a little bit more."
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