Tennis
Emma Raducanu travels on London bus after having ‘£125k Porsche taken away’
Emma Raducanu has been spotted boarding a London bus weeks after it was claimed that Porsche had taken away her £125,000 supercar. The tennis star, who is currently injured, was pictured waiting at a bus stop in London before boarding the 345 to South Kensington.
Raducanu wore a gilet, knit jumper, leggings and oversized sunglasses as she waited for the bus to arrive. After newspapers reported on her surprise trip on public transport, she shared a screenshot of an article and shared it to her Instagram story with several laughing emojis and a newspaper.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Raducanu had lost the £125k Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet supercar she had received as part of her ambassadorial agreement. The 21-year-old has been a big fan of the brand since she was young, having seen her coach drive one.
“Whenever I would turn up to practice in the morning I would see his Porsche,” the 2021 US Open champion said. “I would go, ‘Wow!’ and be dreaming of one day sitting in my own.”
Reports suggested that the vehicle had been withdrawn. Porsche are understood to be swift in taking away cars when they believe they are not receiving a return.
“Emma no longer has a Porsche,” a member of her team said. “They took it back. It used to have pride of place at her home.”
Meanwhile, A Porsche spokesperson revealed: “While we do on occasion loan Emma a car, this is very much on an ad hoc basis.”
Although another statement insisted: “Emma Raducanu is a global brand ambassador for Porsche and there have not been any changes within our successful partnership since it started in 2022. We are very happy with our partnership.”
However, fresh pictures seen on Monday show Raducanu behind the wheel of a new £100k Porsche. The high-powered Porsche Cayenne is the latest vehicle to replace the youngster’s trusty long-term Dacia Sandero.
It remains to be seen if she will keep her current car for long. The car’s supreme comfort could aid her injury problems.
Raducanu had been keen to play the end-of-season hardcourt tournaments in Asia but ended up withdrawing from WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan because of a foot problem. After pulling out of a tournament in Hong Kong, she wrote: “I’m sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week.
“Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit. I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future!”
It raises doubts over whether Raducanu will be fit to feature in next month’s Billie Jean King Cup.