Raducanu nets Vodafone deal

The British sensation keeps on adding to her growing sponsorship portfolio.

British tennis star Emma Raducanu has been announced as a brand ambassador for telecommunications firm Vodafone. The deal is reported to be worth £3 million.

Raducanu will kick off the partnership with Vodafone’s ‘Play your Way to Wimbledon’ grassroots tennis event. The Lawn Tennis Association and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club along with Vodafone are hoping to use Raducanu’s fame to get participation from the younger crowds. 

Vodafone will also be Raducanu’s choice of network to stay connected with her friends and family throughout the year whenever she will be on tour travelling. Raducanu will also appear in various marketing campaigns for the brand and will also be sporting the Vodafone logo on the court.

Max Taylor, Vodafone, Consumer Director, commented:

“Emma has captivated the nation over the last 18 months, delivering one of the most iconic British sporting moments in recent memory and inspiring a huge number of new players to pick up a racket for the first time. As the face of modern British tennis and a graduate of the LTA’s grassroots program – which we are proud to now be supporting – Emma is the perfect person to champion the relaunch and expansion of Play Your Way to Wimbledon, powered by Vodafone and our ambition to democratise the sport and connect a new generation of fans and players.”

Raducanu herself spoke about her new partnership, stating:

“I’m so excited to be working with Vodafone to inspire the next generation of tennis players in the UK. The support I received at a grassroots level has been key to my development as a player, and I’m looking forward to helping make these initiatives even bigger, better and more accessible.”

Gus Henderson, Commercial Director at the All England Club, added:

“We are delighted to work with the LTA and Vodafone to build on the strong heritage of the Road to Wimbledon, relaunching and expanding it to become the UK’s biggest individual mass participation competition.

“We hope that Play Your Way to Wimbledon helps to encourage more children to try tennis and develop a love of the game, with the chance to play on the grass courts at Wimbledon as a compelling inspiration factor.”

Oliver Scadgell, Participation Director at the LTA, stated:

“By working with Vodafone and the All England Club on this competition, we’re continuing our vision to open up tennis and grow the sport at a grassroots level.

“The introduction of broader age groups and disability categories from 2023 is key to this objective and it’s hugely beneficial to have Emma’s support in encouraging participation.”

Vodafone announced the Raducanu partnership through a 360-degree digital sculpture of her alongside grassroots player Katie Randall and a short film featuring the two playing a match together.