Emma Raducanu can be a ‘$1 billion girl’ after US Open win
New York Post
Emma Raducanu’s future looks very bright.
The 18-year-old tennis sensation is on cloud nine after her historic US Open victory on Saturday night, when she beat fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez, 6-4, 6-3, to bring home Britain’s first women’s Grand Slam singles championship in 44 years.
Raducanu, who earned $2.5 million in prize money, never dropped a set throughout her 2021 US Open run — 10 matches, including three qualifying matches — and stole the hearts of fans everywhere. After her grand slam win, publicist to the stars Mark Borkowski tweeted, “And so the journey begins for the billion dollar girl.”
In a separate interview, he explained why the young talent will be a magnet for brands.
“Potentially, I see her as a billion dollar girl,” Borkowski told The Sun. “She’s everything that is really positive about the new icons that this age has got to throw up. In the conflicting culture wars, here we have someone who is young, incredibly talented, has a multicultural background.
“Everything about her is what every brand would like to get their hands on right now. Everyone will want a piece of her. Tough times ahead.”
Borkowski went on to compliment how Raducanu has handled herself throughout various public events — including her withdrawal from Wimbledon in July when she suffered breathing issues while down 6-4, 3-0 to Croatian-Australian star Ajla Tomljanovic.
“In terms of coming out of a pandemic, the way she handled the Wimbledon incident, the way she’s come back, the way she tackles interviews, the way the crowd responds to her, the way she plays the game … if she is as good as the form suggests the sky is the limit,” Borkowski said.
“You get a sense with Emma that she’s got a really powerful personality to go along with the talent.”
Raducanu’s whirlwind summer of success has made her one of tennis’ most-watched stars. She’s climbed the ranks from No. 336 in the world, to 150. Over the summer, her social media presence has reportedly doubled, with her Instagram follower count at 1.6 million and counting.
Just a few weeks before she stunned the tennis crowd in Flushing Meadows, Raducanu had finished her high school A-Level results. According to ESPN, she received an A grade in both math and economics.
In the days leading up to her US Open championship, Raducanu was featured in British Vogue. She posed with her tennis racket in a fashionably sporty photoshoot, and in an accompanying interview, described herself as “the quiet one.” On the night before her Vogue shoot, Raducanu attended her high school prom in Orpington.
And to think, Raducanu’s initial goal was to advance in the US Open, so she could replace a lost pair of AirPods.
https://nypost.com/2021/09/13/emma-raducanu-could-be-a-billion-dollar-girl-after-tennis-fame/