London — Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open victory could lead to a pot of around £ 20m ($ 27.7m) in gold over the next two years, which is just the beginning, according to sports marketing experts. It may be nothing more than.
The 18-year-old Briton has earned about $ 40,000 since his senior debut three years ago and was almost unheard of before reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon this year.
After becoming the first female Grand Slam champion in the UK for 44 years and becoming the new golden girl in women’s tennis, Raducanu’s earnings potential is ready to enter the stratosphere.
The $ 2.5 million she won for defeating fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez in a sports-fascinating final may soon seem like a gradual change.
According to one sports marketing expert, Raducanu’s Romanian-Chinese mixed heritage, stunning games and fascinating personality make her “brand gold.”
She’s already a cover girl for the October edition of British Vogue, with leading global brands in everything from fashion to automobiles to jewelery lined up at the door of her management company, IMG.
Tim Lopes, director of sports marketing firm CSM, told Reuters on Monday.
“She is already in great demand, but by following up on her continued success in tennis majors, she will quickly become one of the most marketable athletes on the planet.”
According to Forbes magazine, tennis has provided a path to wealth for top female players who have earned $ 55 million excluding prizes in Japan over the past year due to their global reach and equal exposure. increase.
Of the 10 most paid sportswomen in the world, 9 are tennis players.
According to Lopez, Raducanu, whose mother Lenny is Chinese, shares the same marketing appeal as Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion whose mother is Japanese and whose father is Haitian.
“When using it as a reference, not only because of their career trajectory, but also because of their common charm, and because they are fascinating and from a mixed heritage background.” He said.
“This is a big advantage from a brand perspective. From an eyeball perspective, there is no big market available.”
As Raducanu began to fill his face on the Times Square sign from an ambiguous state, sportswear brands were vying for her signature. Nike reportedly paid $ 10 million to take her from rival Adidas after Osaka won consecutive Grand Slam titles in 2018 and 2019.
Raducanu is represented by super agent Max Eisenbud, who helped Russia’s Maria Sharapova turn into the best female athlete after winning 17-year-old Wimbledon, with an out-of-court career income of about $ 320 million. is.
However, the pitfalls of professional tennis are often that Osaka, another IMG athlete, struggles to confront sudden fame and good luck.
Lopez states that the proper balance of on-court and off-court activities is an important factor for Raducanu to maximize her potential.
“People need to give the girl the opportunity to integrate what she did and not put too much pressure on her too soon,” he said.
“Focus on mental health, followed by sports well-being and financial rewards.”
($ 1 = 0.7232 lbs)
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