New ambassadors, please

Vodafone’s face of Wimbledon Emma replaced by wheelchair duo after injury forces her out

WHEN injured Emma Raducanu pulled out of Wimbledon, it wasn’t just fans who were disappointed – Vodafone, which signed her up in a £3million deal, was also left in dismay.

The British star, 20, was due to be its face of the tournament in July as part of a lucrative contract she signed in 2021.

But the plan was left in tatters when she announced she would miss the event due to surgery on her wrists and an ankle.

However, The Mail on Sunday can now reveal that Vodafone will replace Miss Raducanu with Britain’s leading wheelchair men’s double pair.

Pictures of Alfie Hewett, 25, and Gordon Reid, 31, who have won 16 Grand Slam titles together, will be emblazoned across billboards up and down Britain, along with singles star Jack Draper.

Sources at Vodafone say that the move is part of a plan to become more inclusive and progressive. One said: ‘When Emma pulled out, we didn’t know what to do. But it led to a perfect opportunity to use Alfie and Gordon, who were already part of the Vodafone family. To have them as our main ambassadors feels as if we have managed to make some good out of a bad situation.’

This newspaper revealed in December 2021 that Emma – who won the US Open that year – had signed a lucrative deal to be the face of Vodafone. She also agreed contracts with British Airways, Nike, Tiffany and Evian.

Alfie and Gordon are called the ‘darlings’ of wheelchair tennis and until last year’s Wimbledon were unbeaten since 2019.

Alfie was born with a congenital heart defect and also suffered from Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, which inhibits blood flow from the pelvis to the hip joint, leaving him needing a wheelchair since he was six.

Gordon contracted a rare spinal condition, transverse myelitis, when he was 13, which left him paralysed from the waist down for more than a decade, but he then gradually regained limited mobility that enabled him to stand and walk unaided.

Earlier this month, Emma revealed she had been forced to pull out of the grass court season. She said: ‘The last ten months have been difficult, as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands. I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it by reducing my practice. Unfortunately it’s not enough. I’m having a minor procedure on my hands to resolve the issues. It pains me that I will miss the summer events.’

A Vodafone spokeswoman said: ‘Emma is still one of Vodafone’s valued ambassadors. She will continue to play a key role in our Wimbledon campaign alongside Alfie, Gordon and Jack Draper.’