RICHARD EDEN: Another loss for Emma Raducanu as Porsche take back freebie
Emma Raducanu fell in love with Porsche as a child because one of her first tennis coaches owned one of the sports cars.
“Every time I came to practice in the morning, I saw his Porsche,” she said. “I’d say, ‘Wow!’ and dream of one day sitting on my own.’
So the high school girl couldn’t contain her excitement when, at the age of 18, she was appointed as ‘global brand ambassador’ for the German brand following her fairytale victory in the singles final of the US Open in 2021. The endorsement deal was reportedly worth a huge sum worth.
She looked 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 190mph.
However, I can now announce that the deal may end up on the scrap heap.
Emma Raducanu fell in love with Porsche as a child because one of her first tennis coaches owned one of the sports cars
Tennis star Emma Raducanu imagined arriving to practice in a £150,000 Porsche
“Emma no longer has a Porsche,” says one of her employees. “They took it back. It used to have a place of honor in her home.’
A Porsche spokesperson confirmed that it no longer owns any of its vehicles. “Although we occasionally lend Emma a car, this is mainly on an ad hoc basis,” he says.
A source who works in the sponsorship industry tells me that Porsche is known for the speed with which it withdraws its vehicles from celebrity ambassadors if it does not feel it is getting value for money.
Raducanu certainly put some effort into the company, appearing in promotional videos, including one in which she drove a 911 GT3 at Brands Hatch in Kent, and another in which she completed laps with Formula 1 veteran Mark Webber in a 911 Carrera S at Silverstone in Northamptonshire. .
After Raducanu, whose parents work in finance, became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, he signed highly lucrative deals with companies such as Dior, Evian, HSBC and Vodafone. Her company, Harbor 6 Ltd, made a profit of £9.6 million last year.
Emma Raducanu celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating Leylah Annie Fernandez during the women’s singles final match on day thirteen of the 2021 US Open
However, she made it clear in an interview that owning such an enviable set of wheels had not gone to her head. “I’m not just Emma Raducanu arriving in a Porsche, wearing Dior and flying first class,” she said.
However, the 21-year-old player failed to regain the form with which she won the US Open. She suffered a series of injuries that required her to undergo three surgeries.
Kieron Vorster, former strength and conditioning coach to players such as former British number 1 Tim Henman, recently told Emma he ‘just doesn’t play enough games’.
The Porsche spokesperson insists that she will remain in her role. “Emma Raducanu is a global brand ambassador for Porsche and there have been no changes to our successful partnership since its inception in 2022,” he said. ‘We are very happy with our collaboration.’