Emma Raducanu becomes the ambassador for Vodafone's Play Your Way to Wimbledon
Emma Raducanu recently announced that she has signed up to be the ambassador for Vodafone UK's Play Your Way to Wimbledon tournament. The World No. 13 said she was excited to work with young players and inspire a new generation of superstars:
Excited to work with @VodafoneUK as their ambassador for Play Your Way to Wimbledon. Through this tournament, we’ll work with @the_LTA & @Wimbledon to inspire future tennis stars.
Bromley is where it all started for me! Are you ready to #FeelTheConnection? #Ad https://t.co/jiuAkQX8a4
According to Wimbledon's website, "Play your way to Wimbledon" is a tennis competition that'll take place from 2023 onwards that allows ITF players to "play on the lawns of SW19". Players with an ITF World Tennis Number between 20-40.9 will be allowed to participate.
Raducanu also spoke about her targets for the season in a recent interview published in Tennis 365. Mentioning that this was her first full season on tour, she explained that one of her main goals was to see tangible improvements to her game.
"My main goal is to see improvements in my game and look back knowing I’ve got better in certain areas," Raducanu said. "It’s my first year on tour so I’m very excited to have a full schedule and I’m sure I will have learned a lot by the end of the year.”
Raducanu was arguably the revelation of 2021 as she won the US Open despite having to qualify for the tournament's main draw. The teenager became the first qualifier in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Ever since, the Brit tennis sensation has magnified her reach and brand endorsements. The current ambassadorship comes alongside sponsorships with British Airways, Tiffany & Co, Evian and Dior, among others.
Emma Raducanu has won just one match in 2022 so far
Raducanu has endured a rocky start to 2022, beginning with an opening-round exit at the Sydney International at the hands of Elena Rybakina. The 19-year-old then competed at the Australian Open and beat Sloane Stephens in the first round. However, she was beaten by Montenegro's Danka Kovinic in the second round.
The Brit was the top seed at the Abierto de Guadelajara but was forced to retire in her opening-round match against Daria Saville due to a hip injury. As a result, she was unable to participate in the Monterrey Open.
In the longest match of the 2022 season, Daria Saville earns her 1st WTA main draw win since 2021 Australian Open after Emma Raducanu is forced to retire at 5-7, 7-6(4), 4-3 after 3 hours and 36 minutes.
Raducanu is set to play in the Indian Wells Open as the 11th seed. If she regains full fitness, the Brit will compete in the WTA 1000 tournament and will look to have a good run there.
The 19-year-old is among the finest talents in the sport but has not had a good start to the year, winning just one match so far. However, she is more than capable of producing better performances. Her lack of intensity and game plan in many matches has been the achilles heel, and a 10-day event like Indian Wells will allow her some breathing room to figure out the kinks in her game and tactics.