Uniqlo names British tennis star Emma Raducanu as ambassador

Uniqlo has named tennis star Emma Raducanu as a global ambassador, signalling a move away from Nike for the British women’s number one.

Raducanu, who has had a longstanding deal with Nike, will wear Uniqlo on court starting from next month’s Indian Wells Masters 1000 tournament in the US.

As well as wearing Uniqlo on court, Raducanu will promote the Japanese brand’s LifeWear apparel off the court and will work on programmes to help young people engage with sports and reach their full potential.

She follows in the footsteps of tennis legend Roger Federer in making the move from Nike to Uniqlo, while the brand also works with global wheelchair tennis star Shingo Kunieda.

Raducanu in her Uniqlo kit

The move from Nike for Raducanu has long been expected, as the global sports giant has lost a number of athletes to more niche brands. Last year British men’s number one Jack Draper made the switch from Nike to Vuori.

Speaking of the move, Raducanu said: "I am very pleased to join UNIQLO and to work closely with its amazing team of Global Brand Ambassadors. UNIQLO and I share many values and perspectives on life, culture, and society. I am excited to promote LifeWear through my tennis career, and to working with everybody at UNIQLO to inspire and engage young people everywhere."

Emma Raducanu in Uniqlo LifeWear

Koji Yanai, Group Senior Executive Officer at Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing, added: "We are honoured to welcome Ms. Raducanu to UNIQLO as a Global Brand Ambassador. Even under intense pressure, she consistently demonstrates a bold and proactive mindset, embracing challenge with determination. Off court, she is an intelligent and well-read young person who values her connection to family and friends. We believe she will be an exceptional ambassador and look forward to making positive change together in the world."

Raducanu burst on to the tennis scene in 2021 winning the US Open grand slam level tournament at the age of 18, having come through qualifying. Her achievements on court since have been hampered by injuries and coaching team changes, but she has show improvement of late reaching the final of the recent Transylvania Open tournament and reaching the Top 25 in global rankings.

Following her US Open triumph, Raducanu (who has joint Chinese and Romanian heritage) was snapped up by a number of high profile brands, including Dior and Tiffany, thanks to her global appeal and high profile social media presence. She is no longer working with Dior or Tiffany, but still has deals with Wilson racquets, Evian and Wild deodorant.