HSBC have pledged their support to Emma Raducanu and will continue to sponsor the British star despite her drop down the world rankings. The 21-year-old reached a career high of No.10 just two years ago, but has been plagued by form and fitness struggles ever since and has now plummeted to 221st place.
But she continues to benefit from lucrative sponsorship deals, which came rolling in after she shot to superstardom thanks to her incredible US Open win back in September 2021. And it was in the aftermath of her very own fairytale of New York that she struck a deal to become a global brand ambassador for the universal bank and financial services group.
Raducanu agreed a four-year contract with the company, who stated at the time: “We’ll partner with Emma to work on sports initiatives and financial opportunities for young people. She’ll also start appearing in some of our marketing campaigns.”
Arguably, Raducanu’s market appeal has dropped dramatically since, having failed to go beyond the second round of a Grand Slam tournament for almost three years. She’s also yet to land her maiden WTA tour title.
But HSBC’s Global Head of Brand Jonathan Castleman has publicly backed the Canadian-born player, and empathised with the contrasting fortunes that professional sportspeople experience. “In any walk of life, we experience unexpected pivot moments,” he said.
“In just a few years, Emma’s career has seen her experience both the highest of highs and moments of uncertainty. At HSBC, we understand that life is rarely a straight line and we’re proud to be supporting Emma on every stage of her journey.”
Raducanu won’t be seeking a return to form at the French Open next week. Instead, she has opted to withdraw from the tournament at Roland Garros after missing out on a wildcard, but her decision is reportedly a strategic one and not due to an injury issue.
She has now not competed since April 24, when she was beaten in the first round of the Madrid Open by qualifier Maria Lourdes Carle. It now seems she will not return until the ITF event in Surbiton which gets underway on June 2.
That will form the start of her build-up to Wimbledon, a tournament she missed in 2023 due to surgeries on her wrists and an ankle. It was at SW19 where she reached the fourth round just months before her success at Flushing Meadows, but had to retire from her match with Ajla Tomljanovic with breathing difficulties.
