Emma Raducanu fell in love with Porsche as a child because one of her first tennis coaches owned one of their sports cars.
“Every time I went to train in the morning I saw his Porsche,” he said. ‘I’d say, ‘Wow!’ and dream of one day sitting alone.
Which is why the elementary school girl couldn’t contain her excitement when she was named a “global brand ambassador” for the German brand after her fairytale victory in the US Open singles final in 2021 at the age of 18. years. It is said to be worth a huge sum.
She was photographed looking proud – and a little nervous – as she drove to the National Tennis Center in Roehampton, south-west London, in a £125,000 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, with a top speed of 192mph.
Now, however, I can reveal that the deal could be scrapped.
Emma Raducanu fell in love with Porsche as a child because one of her first tennis coaches owned one of their sports cars.
Tennis star Emma Raducanu pictured arriving for practice in £150,000 Porsche
“Emma no longer has a Porsche,” one of her associates tells me. ‘They removed it. It used to have a place of honor in his house.
A Porsche spokesperson confirms that it is no longer in possession of one of its vehicles. “Although we occasionally lend Emma a car, this is largely ad hoc,” he says.
A source who works in the sponsorship business tells me that Porsche is known for how quickly it withdraws its celebrity ambassador vehicles if it doesn’t feel it is getting value for money.
Raducanu certainly made an effort for the company, appearing in promotional videos, including one in which he drove a 911 GT3 at Brands Hatch in Kent, and another in which he did laps with Formula 1 veteran Mark Webber in a 911 Carrera S in Silverstone in Northamptonshire. .
After becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu, whose parents work in finance, signed highly lucrative deals with companies including Dior, Evian, HSBC and Vodafone. His company, Harbor 6 Ltd, made a profit of £9.6m last year.
Emma Raducanu celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating Leylah Annie Fernandez during their women’s singles final match on day thirteen of the 2021 US Open.
However, he made it clear in an interview that owning such an enviable vehicle had not gone to his head. “I’m not just Emma Raducanu who arrives in a Porsche, wears Dior and flies first class,” she said.
The 21-year-old player, however, could not regain the form that led her to win the US Open. He has suffered a series of injuries, which have forced him to undergo three operations.
Kieron Vorster, former strength and conditioning coach to players such as former British number one Tim Henman, recently said that Emma “just doesn’t play enough games”.
The Porsche spokesperson insists that she will continue in her position. “Emma Raducanu is a global ambassador for the Porsche brand and there has been no change to our successful partnership since it began in 2022,” he says. “We are very happy with our partnership.”