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$4,000,000-Worth Sponsor Sidelines British Tennis Beauty Emma Raducanu in Major Shakeup of Wimbledon Plans Owing to Her Back-to-Back Surgeries

Published 06/01/2023, 1:58 PM EDT

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Things are not at all going well for tennis star Emma Raducanu this year. A recurring wrist injury, which has been troubling the Briton for a number of months, forced her to withdraw from this year’s Madrid Open. Following this, she decided to undergo multiple surgeries on both her wrists and ankle in a bid to recover from these persistent issues. Unfortunately, this meant that Raducanu would have to be out of action for almost the entirety of the remainder of the season.

And now, with the 2021 US Open champion unlikely to get back on the court anytime soon, one of her main sponsors has added to her woes.

via Reuters

Emma Raducanu replaced by key sponsor as face of Wimbledon 2023

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The 20-year-old Briton withdrew from the ongoing French Open and is set to miss the upcoming Wimbledon, with a possibility of being out of action for the rest of the season too. Owing to this, as reported by Daily Express, Emma Raducanu has been sidelined by Vodafone as their face of this year’s Wimbledon.

The young tennis beauty had signed a lucrative endorsement deal with telecommunications firm Vodafone in 2021, worth close to a whopping $4 million per year. She was roped in by the company as their main ambassador for tennis, which saw her participate in many of their projects including the “Play your Way to Wimbledon” grassroots tennis event. Although she still remains one of Vodafone’s primary brand ambassadors, it looks like her recent injury woes have pushed her down the pecking order as far as the company’s promotional campaigns are concerned.

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However, the marketable qualities of the British tennis star should never be doubted. Raducanu boasts of an impressive portfolio of endorsements, which consists of renowned brands like Nike, Dior, Tiffany’s, Evian, and British Airways. It is probably just a matter of time before she becomes the leading tennis ambassador for Vodafone again once she returns to the court.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Despite $500,000,000 Earnings Together, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova’s Unwavering Commitment to Tennis Comes to the Fore as Emma Raducanu Gets Real Advice

Who replaces Raducanu as Vodafone’s ambassador at Wimbledon?

Emma Raducanu will be replaced by the legendary wheelchair doubles pair of Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, along with ATP ace Jack Draper as Vodafone’s ambassador at the upcoming Wimbledon championships. The British duo of Hewett and Reid won a record 10 consecutive men’s wheelchair doubles grand slams between 2019 and 2022 with their incredible streak coming to an end at last year’s Wimbledon finals. The pair have 16 grand slam doubles titles together. It will be refreshing to see the two along with Draper as Vodafone ambassadors at Wimbledon.

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Do you think Vodafone made the right call by replacing Emma Raducanu as their face ahead of Wimbledon? Let us know in the comments.

Discerning French Open Reality Hits British Tennis Hard as 20-Year-Old Emma Raducanu’s Absence Reveals Grave Signs for the Future

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Written by:

Prithviraj Roy

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Prithviraj Roy is a tennis writer at EssentiallySports. With an academic background in Journalism & Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), he has more than 2 years of experience as a Content Writer. Prithviraj has been a die-hard fan of the 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal since his childhood years.
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Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal