"We are not living and dying on a commission for Emma Raducanu" - Brit's agent clears air over 'pressure' from sponsors

Emma Raducanu’s agent Max Eisenbud recently spoke about the Brit’s sponsorship deals and the speculation of pressure surrounding the commitments.

Raducanu became an overnight sensation following her 2021 US Open victory. Her meteoric rise meant a sharp increase in sponsorship deals, and the necessity to acclimatize quickly to her new-found fame.

Head of clients at IMG Tennis, Max Eisenbud, who is Raducanu’s agent, recently stated that the team educated the Brit about the available opportunities. He added that they were successful in handling the sponsors without burdening her with commitments.

“Our job is to educate them on what’s available for them,” he said on the 'Tennis Podcast.'

“I know, people want to say that the narrative – that IMG is bringing in all this money and making them take deals. Like, we are a pretty well-established company. We are not living and dying on a commission for Emma Raducanu. Our lights are going to stay on in the office,” he added.

The agent revealed that team was spoilt for choice, and picked the best brands from a sea of deals.

“We could have done a hundred deals. A hundred, okay? And she could be doing deals, and deals, and deals. They left millions and millions of dollars on the table,” he said.

“We don’t need that. We want to try to do the best thing for the client, and so, we have the client for a long time.”

---

"The pressure she has is that she won a great tournament; she wants that feeling again" – Emma Raducanu's agent

Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon 2023

Emma Raducanu’s outstanding run at the US Open made her a household name. However, she has been unable to replicate that success and that win in 2021 remains her sole title on tour.

Once ranked at a career-high of World No. 10, the 20-year-old has currently slipped outside the World’s top 100. While this in part due to her poor run of form, an injury-plagued season has been a factor as well.

There has also been speculation about Emma Raducanu feeling the pressures of sponsorship commitments. However, her agent Max Eisenbud quashed those notions. He conveyed that the concerned brands shook on the deals knowing that her journey would have its ups and downs.

“They strategically took the best brands, with the most limited time; the brands that understood that it’s gonna be a rocky road. None of the responses have ever been like, ‘Oh my God, she’s not winning.’ No one,” he assured.

“The sponsors couldn’t have been more supportive even through the injury.”

Eisenbud outlined that the pressure stems from Raducanu’s internal desire to keep winning rather than her commitments as a brand ambassador.

“I know people want to say, ‘Oh. The pressure. She’s got the pressure.’ I think the pressure she has is that she won a great tournament. She wants that feeling again, and she wants to keep winning. I don’t think she is waking up and being like, ‘Oh my God, HSBC is mad,’” he clarified.

Eisenbud, who has a rich history of clients such as Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Madison Keys and Ajla Tomljanovic, added that the client's interest is always the priority.

“To have long relationships like that, you have to be always putting the player first and not yourself; Not the IMG commission,” he said. “Because if you’re doing that, the player sees that and feels that. You can’t be the greedy agent, always taking money. So, we’re always trying to do the right thing.”

Emma Raducanu is currently on the sidelines following three surgeries on her wrists and her ankle. She is in rehab, but hasn’t announced a return date yet.