Emma Raducanu could reportedly face a sponsorship crisis following her exit from the US Open earlier this week.
The Briton entered the tournament at Flushing Meadows hoping to summon the same magic that helped her win the competition three years ago.
Yet Raducanu struggled against Sofia Kenin on Wednesday, with the American winning 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to make the second round.
Raducanu’s career has been blighted by injuries in recent years, with the youngster’s development hindered as a result.
Her victory at the US Open in 2021 remains her only singles title, with the Briton earning most of her money through lucrative sponsorship deals.
Raducanu earned just £200,000 in prize money last year, though her registered company, Harbour 6, recorded huge profits of£9.6million.
She has sponsorship deals with the likes of British Airways, Vodafone, Tiffany, Dior, Porsche, Evian, Wilson, Nike and HSBC.
Yet with Raducanu playing just one tournament since Wimbledon prior to her US Open exit, there are now question marks over her appeal.
Several of her sponsorship deals are due to be renewed this year, as well as her contract with IMG, who represent the tennis star.
And brand and culture expert Nick Ede has told the Daily Mail that she may struggle to secure lucrative paydays while her form is so inconsistent.
“Emma Raducanu has had a winning streak when it comes to brand partnerships and endorsements, but as her star power on the tennis court is starting to fade so will some of her lucrative deals,” he said.
“She is a poster girl for tennis and sports and the UK and has been a very successful brand ambassador but brands want winners and currently she’s not winning.”
He added: “Brands want to have sportspeople who inspire and Emma did have a major golden moment.
“But in the past year her performance has been disappointing – and with consumers having very short attention spans, they aren’t going to buy into her so much now as she isn’t the success that she once was.
“She also isn’t a sporting legend who has a legacy of success which means she doesn’t yet hold a place in fans’ hearts.
“I am sure with her statement on her performance and how she’s going to concentrate on being the best player soon she will be on the tip of everyone’s tongues as a winner, which will make brands prick up their ears and throw money at her again.”
Raducanu, for her part, has vowed to learn from her US Open defeat.
Speaking after her defeat to Kenin on Wednesday, she said: “Yeah, I feel down, like I feel sad. This is a tournament I really want to do well in.
“I’m just going to go back to the drawing board and train and analyse where I went wrong and try and improve for the rest of the season.
“Obviously, the slams are over for this year, but it’s not actually that long until Australia comes around again.”
Amid criticism over her schedule, Raducanu added: “I would have preferred to probably play a little bit more before coming into the US Open.
“I know when I have a lot of matches, just like every player, you feel really good, you feel like everything’s automatic.
“I can learn from it. And, you know, manage my schedule slightly differently.
“It wasn’t just me. It was more of like a collective call [to play less] and that’s what happened, and I can’t really change it.”
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