NIKE OR UNIQLO? THE TRUTH BEHIND EMMA RADUCANU’S 2026 SPONSORSHIP SWITCH REVEALED NOW
Emma Raducanu arrives for the 2026 United Cup in Nike gear, silencing Uniqlo rumours. Get the latest on her fitness and schedule.
The tennis world's been buzzing about Emma Raducanu possibly leaving Nike for another brand before the 2026 season.
Word was she was getting ready to sign a big deal with Uniqlo, following in the footsteps of Roger Federer.
If she had dropped Nike, it would have been a shock. They picked her up right before she won the US Open in 2021 and became a global star overnight.
Even though she hasn't won a tournament since that US Open win four years ago, she's still popular, has tons of followers on social media, and everyone's still talking about her.
So, a switch to Uniqlo wouldn't have been totally out of left field. Since her mom is Chinese, the Japanese company might see her as having value for their brand.
But, when she showed up in Perth for the United Cup, she was still rocking Nike gear.
She could still switch to Uniqlo for 2026 since her Nike deal probably lasts until the end of the year. But for now, it looks like she's sticking with her current brand.
Her arrival in Australia also shut down rumors that a foot problem might keep her from starting the season.
She recently told the media she's feeling good about the upcoming season.
I feel solid with where I am at on and off the court. “I’m in a good spot,” Raducanu said.
I'm feeling like I am building back in the gym, to start with.
“I also feel pretty chill about next year, which is sweet. And I’m just proud of the season that I put in this year and the progress I have made.
Next year, I want to play less than I did this year. But I think also just putting fitness into my warm-ups, so it’s not necessarily just my fitness sessions that are separate.
So much has helped, and I think the biggest thing is little and often; just try and add in as much as you can for your overall health.
I think I’ve found peace with myself, and I’m happier with how I’m doing tennis and the team and the environment I have.
That’s the most important thing because it takes so much work to get where we need to be. And just enjoying each day and being healthy is awesome.
Raducanu is about to play her first event representing Great Britain in the United Cup, but Jack Draper won't be joining her since he's still dealing with an arm injury.
THE EIGHT-YEAR GAP: SVITOLINA REACHES FIRST WTA 1000 FINAL SINCE 2018 IN DUBAI
Svitolina stuns Gauff! Discover how she reached the Dubai final to face Pegula, plus Alcaraz's 11-0 streak and Venus' return.
Elina Svitolina stunned world number four Coco Gauff to earn a spot in the Dubai Tennis Championships final, where she’ll face Jessica Pegula.
Pegula got there first, clawing her way back after a rough start against Amanda Anisimova. She dropped the first set badly and even lost her serve early in the second, but still pulled off a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.
Gauff, just 21, almost set up an all-American final, but Svitolina refused to fold. The match? Epic. Svitolina took it 6-4, 6-7 (13-15), 6-4 after more than three hours on court. She let four match points slip in a wild second-set tiebreak, but didn’t let that break her. She powered through the decider, and now she’s back in the Dubai final for the first time since she won the title back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.
“I was playing like there’s no tomorrow, just giving it everything,” Svitolina said afterwards.
Over in the men’s Qatar Open, world number one Carlos Alcaraz kept his perfect 2026 record alive. He beat Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to reach the final. Alcaraz, just 22, already grabbed the Australian Open this season and became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. He’s won all 11 matches he’s played this year.
“I know what I can do every time I step on the court,” Alcaraz said.
He’ll face Arthur Fils from France in the final. Fils beat Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, who’d knocked out world number two Jannik Sinner earlier in the week, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
And in some more big news, Venus Williams is heading back to Indian Wells. The seven-time Grand Slam champ, now 45, got a wildcard for both singles and doubles.
“It’s great to be heading back to Indian Wells and returning home to California,” Williams said in a statement.
9-0 STREAK: ANALYZING CARLOS ALCARAZ’S PERFECT START TO THE 2026 TENNIS SEASON
Alcaraz hits 9-0: Discover why Valentin Royer warned Alcaraz and Sinner after their 2026 clash and the latest ATP rankings.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner just got a playful warning from their ATP rival, Valentin Royer.
Alcaraz, with seven Grand Slam titles, and Sinner, who has four, have completely owned men’s tennis for the last couple of years. They’ve split the last nine majors; each grabbed four ATP Masters 1000 trophies; and keep swapping the No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings.
No one else has really kept up. Novak Djokovic is still hanging around, but the rest of the guys, like Alexander Zverev, Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Ben Shelton, are all chasing from behind.
Alcaraz is rolling right now. He’s unbeaten in 2026 so far, standing at 9-0. After winning his first Australian Open title, he followed up with wins over Arthur Rinderknech and Royer.
After Alcaraz beat Royer 6-2, 7-5, the two shared a light moment at the net. Royer, currently world No. 60, told Alcaraz, “I’ll come for you and Jannik, don’t worry. Some day.” Alcaraz laughed and said, “I will wait for you, man.”
Royer actually had a shot in the second set. He broke Alcaraz’s serve early and was up 5-3, serving for the set, but Alcaraz broke back, held serve, and broke again to close out the match.
Asked if he was nervous, Alcaraz admitted, “Honestly, I had to be ready for anything. There were moments when I thought about a third set; I’m not going to lie. But that was just a small part of my mind. Mostly, I was focused on finding solutions, figuring out how to get back on track.
“I’m really happy I found my rhythm again and played good tennis. Sometimes it just comes down to one point. Closing out a set or a match isn’t always easy. I just had to stay in it, and I’m glad I turned it around and got the win in straight sets.”
Next, he faces seventh seed Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals. If he gets through, he’ll meet either Andrey Rublev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semis. Sinner is the likely opponent waiting in the final.
“Everybody expects us to play every final, every tournament, but that’s not easy. There are a lot of players out here who want to beat us,” Alcaraz said about a possible final against Sinner.