Emma Raducanu has signed a major sponsorship deal with Japanese brand Uniqlo, after her £100,000-a-year partnership with Nike came to an end.
Raducanu signed with Nike at the age of 15, three years before remarkably winning the US Open as a qualifier in 2021.
The British star has proved inconsistent on the court since amid a run of injuries and coaching changes, but has continued to carry a commercial appeal.
Uniqlo had teased the announcement on Monday by sharing a photo of a female tennis player holding a tennis racket with the caption ‘We’re proud to welcome a new face.’
And later in a short statement, they said: ‘Introducing Emma Raducanu, our newest Global Brand Ambassador and Britain’s top-ranked female tennis player.
‘Emma will champion UNIQLO’s LifeWear philosophy, which is committed to pursuing excellence, making meaningful contributions to society, and empowering the next generation.’
Emma Raducanu has signed a major sponsorship deal with Japanese brand Uniqlo
Raducanu is seen here in an advert for Porsche in collaboration with Court Supremes
The star was also unveiled as an ambassador for the jewellery brand Tiffany & Co in 2021
Raducanu becomes just the first female tennis player to have signed with Uniqlo, who have sponsored men’s stars Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
Federer signed a 10-year deal worth £226m back in 2018 after parting ways with his long-term sponsor Nike.
Golfer Adam Scott, Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano and wheelchair tennis players Gordon Reid and Shingo Kunieda are among a select group athletes who are Uniqlo global ambassadors.
Daily Mail Sport understands Raducanu will take an active role in designing her own kit as part of the agreement, which is viewed as a major deal for both parties.
Raducanu is expected to participate in engagement activities worldwide as part of the agreement, which is typical for Uniqlo ambassadors.
The deal will come into immediate effect, with Raducanu set to wear Uniqlo kit for the first time at Indian Wells next week.
Her split with Nike after eight years comes as the American sportwear giant has made financial cutbacks in the sport.
Nike have instead looked to focus their attentions on marquee names, with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka among their athletes.
After becoming the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu signed highly lucrative deals with companies including Dior, Evian, HSBC, Porsche and Vodafone.
The US Open winner was ranked as the seventh-highest-earning female athlete in the world by Sportico in 2024
Raducanu has also acted as a global brand ambassador for French water giant Evian – who are one of Wimbledon’s most recognisable sponsors
Raducanu is also a partner of leading British airline and aviation giant British Airways
Raducanu partnership with Vodafone, which was worth around £3million per year, was ended last year.
The British No 1 earned just over £1million in prize money in 2025, but company filings revealed her income from commercial interests had amounted to around four times that figure.
Raducanu will head into Indian Wells without a coach, having parted ways with Francisco Roig after the Australian Open.
Roig, who had previously worked with Rafael Nadal and Matteo Berretini, was Raducanu’s ninth coach of her career.
She has been working with her hitting partner Alexis Canter, a British former pro, since the split from Roig.
Raducanu made the final of the Transylvania Open last month, but suffered a heavy defeat to Sorana Cirstea as she battled illness.
The 23-year-old then retired in her opening round match at the Qatar Open and suffered a first round exit at the Dubai Tennis Championships last week.