Emma Raducanu poised to leave Nike as new sponsor teases announcement

Emma Raducanu is expected to leave Nike and sign a new clothing deal with Uniqlo.

The world No 25 may be struggling with inconsistency on court but her commercial appeal remains strong, judging by the imminent announcement of a deal with the Japanese company.

On Monday, Uniqlo put out a teaser post: a picture of the body of a female tennis player with the caption: “We’re proud to welcome a new face.” Although the player’s face is not visible, the player in question is understood to be Raducanu. Her management company has declined to discuss the subject, but her upcoming move has been an open secret since late last year.

When the news is confirmed – and the unveiling is expected to come at Indian Wells next week – Raducanu will be joining a very exclusive group.

We’re proud to welcome a new face to UNIQLO. pic.twitter.com/HXP4xvhboW

— UNIQLO_Ambassadors (@UQAmbassadors) February 23, 2026

Uniqlo have not sponsored many players on the main tours but the short list includes Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and the former Japanese No 1 Kei Nishikori, whose commercial value used to be the highest in the game despite his relatively low profile in this country.

Raducanu had previously signed with Nike as a precocious teenager, three years before she won the US Open at the age of 18. But Nike has recently cut back on the financial rewards it offers to all but the most successful players, mostly those competing for the title of world No 1, such as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka.

Raducanu is a long way off that elite company, and she is understood to be among a group of well-known names who have either left the company already or plan to do so in the near future. Others include the former US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe and Italian No 2 Lorenzo Musetti.

Since achieving worldwide fame by winning the 2021 US Open, Raducanu – who has 2.9m followers on Instagram – has worked with a long list of blue-chip sponsors including Evian, British Airways, Dior and Tiffany & Co, even if her deal with Vodafone ended last year.

It could be argued that her agency, IMG, has done a far better job of maximising her off-court earnings than it has of steering her tennis career. After parting company with Francis Roig earlier this month, Raducanu’s list of coaches is already into double figures, and it is difficult for her to hire a new one against this background of instability.

Raducanu’s ranking is now the highest it has been since her US Open championship points expired, on the back of a consistent run through the middle of last season. However, her off-season was disrupted by a foot injury and she then contracted a chest infection which dogged her through the recent middle-eastern swing.

She still has no official coach on board, but is working with her hitting partner Alexis Canter, a British former player whose ATP singles ranking peaked at No 779 in the world.