Emma Raducanu was named as one of the most marketable athletes in the world in the past but has seen her commercial appeal take a hit in recent times, while WNBA talent Caitlin Clark’s star is rising.

Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark is now ranked as the fourth most marketable athlete in the world (Image: (Image: GETTY))

Basketball sensation Caitlin Clark has blown away former US Open winner Emma Raducanu on a list of the world’s most marketable athletes.

Tennis ace Raducanu, 21, has endured a challenging few years on the court, battling repeated injury setbacks. She first made headlines by becoming the first qualifier ever to win the 2021 US Open at just 18 years old.

But that victory came at a cost; with the increasing spotlight on her both on and off the court, Raducanu’s performances have suffered drastically. Since her victory at Flushing Meadows, the Brit has only progressed beyond the second round of a single Grand Slam.

She missed the majority of the 2023 season after undergoing operations on an ankle and both her wrists. This year, Raducanu made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon but was then knocked out in the first round of the US Open.

The once-promising tennis star has been unable to return to match action since being forced to retire during her quarter-final showdown with Daria Kasatkina at last month’s Korea Open.

After her shock US Open triumph, Raducanu was able to sign several lucrative sponsorship deals, which has gone some way towards building up her net worth to a whopping $13million (£10m). However, she was dealt a blow earlier this month after Porsche reportedly took away her 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet. Her marketability seems to be very much on the decline as she has dropped to No. 131 on Sports Pro’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes list.

The list is compiled based on three factors – brand strength, total addressable market, and economics – with athletes given a score out of 100 to reflect their overall marketability. Raducanu received a marketability score of just 23.13 this year, which means she has fallen 110 places in the pecking order, having been ranked as the 21st most marketable athlete last year

Emma Raducanu

Emma Raducanu has struggled to shine on the tennis court in recent years (Image: (Image: GETTY))
Meanwhile, basketball star Clark has shot up into the top five following her standout performances for Indiana Fever in the WNBA. The 22-year-old was named Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.2 points and a league-leading 8.4 assists per game.

The gifted youngster has also been praised for attracting viewers to the sport and was even likened to NBA legend Steph Curry, who revolutionised basketball himself with his reliance on three-pointers, earlier this month.

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles tops the list with a score of 96.16, followed by Real Madrid footballer Vinicius Jr, basketball legend LeBron James and 2022 World Cup champion Lionel Messi in the top five. Coco Gauff was the highest-ranked tennis player in 13th place overall, with Novak Djokovic coming in at 18th. Spaniards Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal were ranked 29th and 30th respectively.