Emma Radu-car-new? No! Tennis golden-girl still drives her old Dacia Sandero… despite being a Porsche ambassador

She’s a British sporting celebrity worth millions and a global ambassador for Dior, Tiffany, Evian, Vodafone, British Airways and Nike – and even received a free Porsche worth an estimated £125,000 as part of a sponsorship deal with the luxury car brand.

So how refreshing it is to see down-to-earth tennis golden girl Emma Raducanu still behind the wheel of her first car, a humble Dacia Sandero.  Ms Raducanu, 21, was spotted cruising around London in her slightly dusty 2017 white Sandero – a budget model from the Romanian brand.  One onlooker said: ‘Good on her. It’s great to see Emma keeping it real, despite her celebrity status and earning millions.’

Emma Raducanu pictured driving her first car, a humble white 2017 Dacia Sandero

The 2021 US Open Champion is an ambassador for Porsche, and received a free car from the brand worth £125,000

The 2021 US Open champion made almost £10 million last year as she cashed in on sponsorship and endorsement deals.  Ms Raducanu was just 19 when she was handed the keys to her first Porsche after signing a deal to become a brand ambassador for the German sports car maker.

But despite confessing that she had always dreamed of owning a Porsche, she vowed never to sell her beloved Sandero – a second-hand car she bought in 2020.  ‘My dad is Romanian and a Dacia was his first car. So, yeah, I have a white Dacia Sandero,’ she said.  ‘It was funny – I passed my test three days before the first lockdown and we sort of knew it was going into lockdown, so we needed to buy a car ASAP.  ‘I bought it second-hand for £5,000. I take care of her. I’m never going to get rid of it.’