Emma
Raducanu made it onto the list of the Most Marketable Athletes of 2023,
alongside six other tennis players.
The
20-year-old British tennis sensation had a year plagued by injuries, which
forced her to take a break since April 2023. She decided to undergo wrist
surgeries to regain her form and consistency. Despite Raducanu's extended
absence from the game, she continues to be one of the most profitable tennis
players with significant earnings from endorsements.
This week,
SportsPro released its list of the 50 most marketable athletes, with footballer
Lionel Messi taking the top spot, followed by basketball star LeBron James and
footballer Alex Morgan.
The 2021 US
Open champion has fallen from the 12th spot to the 21st, making her the
fifth-ranked tennis player on the list. However, she remains behind other
tennis players:
Although
none of them are in the top 10 most marketable athletes, they outrank Raducanu:
Novak Djokovic (11th), Coco Gauff (12th), Naomi Osaka (14th), and Aryna
Sabalenka (18th). Additionally, Rafael Nadal is at 41st, and Ons Jabeur is at
50th.
Currently,
the date of Raducanu's return is unknown, although she is confirmed to play in
an exhibition in December against the Olympic champion Belinda Bencic.
Recently,
her agent Max Eisenbud commented on Raducanu's endorsements, despite her being
away from the courts:
“If you are
looking at the
Emma Raducanu situation or any of those players who have been
thrust into the thing.
“Our job is
to educate them on what is available to them. In Emma's situation we could have
done 100 deals. She could be doing deals and deals and deals. They left
millions and millions on the table. They strategically took the best brands
with the most limited time, who understood it would be a rocky road.”
“None of
her sponsors have ever rung up and said ‘oh my god, I can’t believe she’s not
winning’. No one. I know people want to say ‘oh she’s got the pressure’. The
pressure she has is she won a great tournament and she wants that feeling again
and wants to keep winning,” he added.
“I don’t
think she’s waking up and thinking ‘HSBC is mad’. Sponsors are supportive
through injury. I know people want the narrative that the ‘big, bad IMG’ are
bringing in all this money. We are a pretty well established company and we’re
not living and dying on a commission for Emma Raducanu," concluded.
