Emma Raducanu has left Nike and will be sponsored by Uniqlo, effective immediately.
Raducanu, who won the U.S. Open in 2021, signed with Nike three years before that fairytale run in New York when she won the title as an 18-year-old qualifier.
Her departure follows that of fellow Brit Jack Draper, who switched to Southern California athleisure brand Vuori in August. Several other tennis players have also left Nike over the last few years.
The switch had been trailed since late 2025, and on Monday, Uniqlo put out a teaser post: a picture of the body of a female tennis player with the caption: “We’re proud to welcome a new face.”
We’re proud to welcome a new face to UNIQLO. pic.twitter.com/HXP4xvhboW
— UNIQLO_Ambassadors (@UQAmbassadors) February 23, 2026
Raducanu’s move from Nike to Uniqlo follows that of Roger Federer, who made the switch in 2018. Novak Djokovic was sponsored by the Japanese brand between 2012 and 2017, and it has long sponsored Japanese No. 1 and former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori.
It’s an illustrious list Raducanu is joining, and is said by a source briefed on the terms of the deal to be a major one for both parties. Raducanu will play an active role in designing her on-court apparel and will participate in community-engagement activities worldwide, in a similar way to Federer and the actress Cate Blanchett, who joined as a global brand ambassador last summer.
The move away from Nike has been a common one for tennis players in the last couple of years, including big names like the American pair Frances Tiafoe (to Lululemon) and Taylor Fritz (to Hugo Boss). Some, like Tiafoe and Draper, have cited the desire to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond as part of their motivation for leaving.
Introducing Emma Raducanu, our newest Global Brand Ambassador and Britain’s top-ranked female tennis player.
Emma will champion UNIQLO’s LifeWear philosophy, which is committed to pursuing excellence, making meaningful contributions to society, and empowering the next… pic.twitter.com/MeuFPjwWVG
— UNIQLO_Ambassadors (@UQAmbassadors) February 24, 2026
In all, Nike has represented 12 of the current ATP top 22 and all of the current WTA top five during their careers. Of the current ATP top 20, only three now wear its apparel; of the WTA top five, just two. But it retains a clutch of the biggest names in the sport, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka and Zheng Qinwen.
Nike did not respond to a request for comment on Raducanu’s departure, but in an email last August, a spokesperson for the company described its tennis strategy as “supporting the game at every level and partnering with some of the most iconic and talented players in the world.”
As for Raducanu, she may not have reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal since that stunning U.S. Open run five years ago, but she is currently ranked a solid if unspectacular No. 25 and clearly still retains a huge amount of commercial appeal.
Since winning the U.S. Open, Raducanu has worked with several blue-chip sponsors, including Evian, British Airways, Dior and Tiffany & Co. Her tally of 2.9 million Instagram followers is only topped by one contemporary WTA player, the world No. 1 Sabalenka (4.6 million). Raducanu has particular appeal in East Asia, where Uniqlo is based, given her Chinese mother and frequent mentions of the importance of her Asian heritage.
Raducanu’s first tournament wearing Uniqlo will be at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., which begins March 4. Raducanu will hope to improve on what has been a mixed start to the year so far, compromised by a foot injury during pre-season and then a chest infection during the recent Middle East swing.
After a disappointing second-round defeat at the Australian Open last month, Raducanu parted company with her coach, Francisco Roig. She has not officially replaced him but has been working with hitting partner Alexis Canter, a British former world No. 779, including during her run to the Transylvania Open final earlier this month.
Raducanu will be seeded in Indian Wells and so will receive a bye into the second round.