Emma Raducanu has reportedly had a Porsche supercar "taken away" from her after she failed to live up to the expectations to the fullest.
Following her historic 2021 US Open win when the Briton became the first-ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam, it didn't take long before she signed sponsorship deals with some of the world's most luxurious and prestigious brands - such as Dior, Tiffany & Co, etc.
While her endorsement deal with Porsche didn't come as early as some others did, it still came half a year following her major success - in 2022 March. As a reward, Raducanu was gifted a 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, which is worth around $165k.
"Emma no longer has a Porsche. They took it back. It used to have pride of place at her home," her associate told Richard Eden of The Daily Mail.
Why it happened to Raducanu?
According to the insider, the German carmaker tends to do it in cases where they don't feel they are getting as much as they should from an ambassador.
"A source who works in the sponsorship business tells me that Porsche is known for the swiftness with which it withdraws its vehicles from celebrity ambassadors if it does not feel that it is achieving value for money," Eden wrote.
However, this doesn't mean that Raducanu's sponsorship deal has been waived. Instead, she remains a part of the Porsche family.
'While we do on occasion loan Emma a car, this is very much on an ad hoc basis," the carmaker's spokesman said.
Since becoming a Slam winner, Raducanu hasn't won any titles but she also struggled with serious injuries and that caused some of her inconsistent and poor results.
But this year, she has been able to avoid any serious physical setbacks and the general belief is that she has improved.
Many times this season, Raducanu preached patience and highlighted that she believes the process and that she will ultimately come to where she wants to be if she keeps up with good work.
