Emma Raducanu reportedly loses privileges of her luxury Porsche sports car, Romanian automaker Dacia steps in to offer Brit special gift
Emma Raducanu has reportedly lost the privileges of her Porsche sports car, which was gifted to her by the luxury automaker after becoming their brand ambassador. In light of the news, the Brit received a thoughtful gift from Romanian automobile brand Dacia.
Raducanu rose to stardom after clinching her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open at just 18 years of age. Shortly afterwards, she secured high-profile endorsement deals with lucrative brands like Dior, Evian, HSBC and Vodafone. The Brit also became the brand ambassador for Porsche in March 2022, receiving a stylish silver 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet worth £125,000 ($163,000).
However, the 21-year-old has apparently lost access to the car, as it has been "taken back" by the manufacturer. One of Emma Raducanu's associates reportedly told The Daily Mail that the Brit is no longer in possession of the vehicle.
"Emma no longer has a Porsche. They took it back. It used to have pride of place at her home," the associate reportedly said.
A Porsche spokesperson is also said to have confirmed that they are not currently loaning the Brit a car.
"While we do on occasion loan Emma a car, this is very much on an ad hoc basis," the spokesperson reportedly said.
Adding fuel to the fire, Emma Raducanu was recently spotted driving around London in her trusty second-hand Dacia Sandero, which she bought four years ago.
As the reports of her Porsche car being reclaimed circulated on social media, Dacia took the opportunity to offer Raducanu a black upgrade for her Sandero, seen parked outside Wimbledon. The Romanian automobile brand playfully reminded the Brit of the car's reliability while taking a cheeky dig at Porsche for "letting her down."
"Dear @EmmaRaducanu, Whether it's your forehand, backhand, or Sandero keys in-hand — you know a thing or two about reliability. So while some brands may (double) fault and let you down, you can always trust your Sandero. Here’s to many more miles," the post read.
Despite these developments, the 21-year-old appears to have a positive relationship with Porsche, as the brand's spokesperson clarified that her partnership with the luxury brand remains intact.
"Emma Raducanu is a global brand ambassador for Porsche and there have not been any changes within our successful partnership since it started in 2022. We are very happy with our partnership," the spokesperson reportedly told The Daily Mail.
"I’m never going to get rid of it" - Emma Raducanu on hanging on to her 'second-hand' Dacia Sandero despite Porsche partnership
Emma Raducanu might very well welcome the new upgrade to her beloved Dacia Sandero, given her sentimental ties to the Romanian brand. In a 2022 interview with The Sun, the Brit disclosed that her father's first car was a Dacia and that she had followed in his footsteps by purchasing a second-hand white Sandero model for £5,000 ($6,500) after getting her driver's license.
Despite becoming Porsche's brand ambassador, Raducanu emphasized that she would never get rid of her Dacia Sandero.
"My dad is Romanian and a Dacia was his first car. So, yeah, I have a white Dacia Sandero. It was funny, I passed my test three days before the first lockdown and we sort of knew it was going into lockdown, so we needed to buy a car ASAP. I bought it second-hand for £5k. I take care of her. I’m never going to get rid of it," Emma Raducanu said.
The news of Emma Raducanu reportedly losing her Porsche car comes on the heels of her continued struggles on tour. Despite the Brit's comments about "thriving" in Asia, her Asian swing has not panned out as she would have hoped.
Raducanu last competed at the Korea Open, where she retired mid-match during her quarterfinal clash against Daria Kasatkina. The 21-year-old has since missed the WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan.