Emma Raducanu has fired back at rumours that Porsche ended their sponsorship deal with her.
The British tennis starlet, 21, is currently out of action with a foot injury which she sustained during her Korea Open quarter-final clash in September, which forced her to withdraw from the competition.
Raducanu has since had to withdraw from tournaments in China and Hong Kong, marking a disappointing end to a year where she battled her way back into the world’s top 100. However, recent media attention on the 2021 US Open champion has been more about her off-court activities – more specifically, the car she’s been driving.
Just months after her own ‘fairytale of New York’, Raducanu inked a lucrative deal with Porsche, agreeing to become an ambassador for the renowned sports car manufacturer. She was given a 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet to drive around, a car she admitted she had ‘always dreamed’ of owning.
It was certainly a step up from her previous motor, a £5,000 Dacia Sandero. But when Raducanu was recently seen driving her old car again, rumours started swirling that Porsche had ended the partnership and asked her to return her luxury gift.
(Image: Instagram/emmaraducanu)
But on Monday, Raducanu sought to dispel those rumours once and for all by sharing a picture on her Instagram story of her Porsche, safely parked for the night. She captioned the image “Good day”.
The Bromley-based ace had already clapped back at the non-believers on social media regarding her deal with Porsche last week. She shared a photo of herself sitting inside one of their luxury motors with the words: “Like I vanished and reappeared.”
The German brand is known for its no-nonsense approach to sponsorship, ruthlessly recalling cars from sportspeople they believe are underperforming. However, in the aftermath of the Raducanu rumours, they released a statement reaffirming their commitment to the former world No. 10.
(Image: Getty Images)
The statement read: “Emma Radicanu is a global brand ambassador for Porsche and there have not been any changes within our successful partnership since it started in 2022. We are very happy with our partnership.”
Despite not hitting the heights of her stellar breakthrough season three years ago, Raducanu remains one of the most marketable female athletes. She still has sponsorship deals with big hitters like Nike, British Airways, Evian, HSBC, and Vodafone.
And injury hasn’t ended Raducanu’s year just yet, either. She’s been selected to represent Team GB in the Billie Jean King Cup this month, and has posted videos of herself back on the practice courts and moving freely ahead of the tournament in Spain.