14 Sep , 2021 By : monika singh
British teenage tennis star Emma Raducanu is set to earn millions through lucrative sponsorship deals and endorsements, experts say, after her stunning win at the US Open.
The 18-year-old took home $2.5m (£1.8m) in prize money for the title, dwarfing the $303,000 she had earned previously during her short career.
However, marketing experts predict she is set to make millions more, with brands queuing up to secure off-court deals.
Tennis players dominate the richest sportswomen rankings with the nine highest paid female athletes in the world all being tennis players, according to Forbes business magazine,
This suggests there is substantial scope for Raducanu, who already has a shoe and clothing sponsorship contract with Nike and a racquet sponsorship with Wilson.
Nigel Currie, a sponsorship and marketing consultant, told the BBC that Raducanu has the potential to earn similar levels to some of the highest-paid female sports stars off the court, so long as she continues her form on it.
"The sky is the limit for her really. She is in the right sport, one of the most lucrative sports for female athletes," he said.
"She has obviously got to keep winning, she is right at the start of her career. There is no reason to assume she won't go on to win other events and other grand slams."
Mr Currie said Raducanu had a "uniqueness" for brands in that Britain had not had a female grand slam champion for more than 40 years. He added the timing of the teenager's success was "perfect" due to superstar Serena Williams coming to the end of her career.
For an unranked player, Mr Currie said, two sponsorship agreements were typical, but the next round of deals the new British number one negotiates will be "absolutely huge, with Nike and Adidas fighting over her".
"She is very personable, very bright. She answers the questions well. She says the right things - from a marketing point of view that is a dream," he added.
"Most top stars have six or seven sponsorship deals. There will be a huge, mega, watch deal around the corner - they (major tennis stars) all have that."
Mr Currie also said clothing brands would seek to secure Raducanu - who features in Vogue's October issue - as an ambassador.
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