Emma Raducanu skips Stuttgart for a lower-tier tournament to start the clay season

After a strong showing in Miami, Emma Raducanu will look to carry her momentum onto clay. However, the British star and 2021 US Open champion won’t be playing in Stuttgart, a WTA 500 event, and has instead opted for a lower-tier tournament.

Raducanu will begin her 2025 clay-court campaign at the Open Capfinances Rouen Métropole in France, a WTA 250 tournament starting on April 14. While the biggest names will be competing in Germany, the field in Rouen still features strong competition.

Among the top players on the entry list is WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina, who will be the top seed. Grand Slam winners Sofia Kenin and Bianca Andreescu are also set to compete, along with former WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia.

Emma Raducanu during the 2025 Miami Open

On the other hand, this week, stars such as Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula, are competing in the first clay tournament of the season in Charleston, another WTA 500 event.

Raducanu’s absence in Stuttgart fuels speculation about Porsche partnership

Since her breakthrough at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has become one of the highest-paid players on tour, securing lucrative endorsement deals with major brands. However, speculation has emerged that her partnership with Porsche—one of her most high-profile sponsors—has ended, as she is skipping Stuttgart, a tournament backed by the luxury carmaker.

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Raducanu became a Porsche ambassador in 2022 and competed in Stuttgart for three straight years from 2022 to 2024. In late 2024, The Daily Mail reported that Porsche had taken back one of the supercars gifted to her.

“Emma no longer has a Porsche. They took it back. It used to have pride of place at her home,” The Daily Mail claimed at the time. The report also suggested that the brand was unsatisfied with the partnership.

“A source who works in the sponsorship business tells me that Porsche is known for the swiftness with which it withdraws its vehicles from celebrity ambassadors if it does not feel that it is achieving value for money,” they wrote.

Raducanu regaining form after injury struggles

In Miami, Raducanu had her best tournament run since the US Open, reaching the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event for the first time. She is now working with Mark Petchey, who is expected to be with her through Wimbledon, along with Jane O’Donoghue.